The Weirdest Pizza Delivery Job Ever
by Laughter's Tears
Summary: Ever wondered what a pizza delivery person's reaction would be to the teenage mutant ninja turtles? If you have, then you're about to find out. Meet Kate. Average pizza delivery girl with what is about to become the weirdest and awesomest job of her life
1. First Night on the Job

Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT : ( Pokemon, Pikachu, or Honda.

I do own the OC's in this story: Kate, Artie, Bob, and all nameless Cheesy Hut employees (I also own Cheesy Hut unless it actually exists. In which case, I own nothing, please don't sue me!)

This fic started from a question: How do the ninja turtles get their pizza? and evolved into another question: What would the deliverer of that pizza think of them?

I hope you enjoy the answer as much as I enjoyed writing it.

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Dear Journal

I don't know what I did to deserve this. It's only my first day on the job and already I think the manager, Bob, hates me. I've only spoken two words to him! Or maybe this is some form of deranged initiation. I never expected anything this brutal though; I got a job delivering pizzas, I didn't join a sorority! Still, I need this job to pay for college. That's what's keeping me going, the thought of the dream. My dream is to become an antique document preservationist. Someday I'll be working in museums, handling rare and ancient pieces of parchment instead of handling Cheesy Bread. But that requires years of schooling, which requires money, which requires a job. So every delivery I tell myself that I'll make up for it when I run my hands over a piece of history or get to see with my own eyes the signature forged by some great historical figure. Keep telling yourself that Kate.

I've already had to deliver three rounds of pizza to this house on frat-boy row. It's the same story every time. I ring the doorbell five times before someone hears it over the unnecessarily loud music and runs to the door, grabs the pizzas and slams the door in my face. I bang on the door for a solid five minutes before someone else hears it over previously mentioned pounding music and comes to pay me for said pizza. I know I'm just a newbie, but I would have thought that places that order so much pizza would tip better. On the last trip I got a dollar, oh, and a button, a paper clip, and a Pokémon card. Pikachu, I think. And don't get me started on New York traffic. I'm not even going to go there.

When I got back to Cheesy Hut's Artie, the guy who showed me around at the beginning of my shift, was taking a phone order. Blah, blah, blah—normal order, right? Not with my luck. He hung up the phone and announced to everyone in the kitchen. "It was _them_ again!"Every person looked up in fascination as Artie called out the order for one half extra extra cheese-half olives, one pepperoni/sausage, and one works, one pickles, ham, and salsa pizza; oh, and an order of Cheesy Bread. We all laughed at the last pizza order. Then the air got tense as they waited for 'the almighty Bob' to say who would be delivering it. I didn't get why. Sure the choice of toppings was weird, but my brother used to put grape jelly on his cheese-burgers, and he looks normal enough to any innocent bystander; poor naïve bystanders. I was thinking about my brother's odd eating habits so I didn't notice when Bob walked up to me. He's in his thirty's and still managing a Cheesy Hut, so I guess that's made him kinda bitter. I figured that out when he grinned as he said "Karen. You're delivering." the just walked away. I was looking around for Karen when I realized he meant me. Everybody looked at each other like it was some joke and started snickering. I didn't know whether to be annoyed or afraid. At the moment I stuck with annoyed.

Twenty-five minutes later I pulled my '95 Honda Accord up at the address: 105 East 155th Street, and I was convinced that this had to be a prank call. The address was a grand Victorian era house that probably hadn't been inhabited since the Victorian era. But still, I had to at least try if I wanted to get paid. It could be some sort of frat-boy initiation thing, or a bunch of kids sleeping inside on a dare. And I had to get paid. So I grabbed the pizzas, got out of my nice, safe, car and walked toward the creepy abandoned house. Does that last sentence sound wrong? Yeah, I thought so. Don't worry, it gets weirder.

I knocked on the door gingerly. (Half from fear and half because I thought it would fall off its hinges if I knocked any harder) There was a high pitched squeal inside and I heard someone yell "Sweet! Pizza's here!" There was a bang and someone with a Brooklyn accent say "Hood up, shell-for-brains!" There was a lot of rustling. I was starting to get really really curious at this point and I could see why everybody back at Cheesy's was so fascinated with this place. The door opened and a guy in baggy clothes, a hoodie, _and_ a baseball hat pulled low over his brow stood in the doorway. Three other similarly clad guys stood in the background. It was so dark I couldn't make out his face. "Ummm, here's your pizza?" I said like an idiot and handed the guy the boxes. I noticed he was wearing gloves. In August? Well, he was bundled up for a blizzard; why not take it all the way? "They got the salsa, right?" one of the guys in the back said. "Yeah. They got the salsa, and the ham, and the pickles." I said. "Awesome!" He ran forward and snatched the boxes from the other guy "Houston we have pizza!" he yelled. I chuckled. That dude reminded me of what my brother must have been like at age five (I'm the younger one.) The other two guys in the back ran forward and grabbed him and pulled him back and had to pin him down to keep him from running around in circles holding the boxes high over his head. "Chill Mikey." One of them said as the other grabbed the pizza and Cheesy Bread; the guy at the door face-palmed. "How much do we owe you?" he asked. "Oh. Uh, Twenty-three seventy-four." I said, still staring at the guy trying to get up off the floor "Nooo! Give me cheese or give me death!" he yelled. "I can arrange that." The guy with the pizzas said, putting down the boxes. The guy at the door shoved some bills into my hand "This-should-cover-it-thanks-again-bye!" he slammed the door in my face and then I heard him yell "Raph get off of him!" there was some scuffling, actually a lot of scuffling. And some crashes. Then another voice said "Aren't you guys forgetting something? The sooner we get these pizzas home, the sooner we get to eat." The rest of them yelled "Yeah!" I didn't want to be caught eavesdropping so I hurried down the walk. But as I walked away I heard something that made me pause for a moment. "I always knew you were the smart turtle Don!"

Turtle?

I got in my car and drove away, but as I looked in my rearview mirror something caught my eye. I'm not sure, but I could swear I saw a hand easing a manhole cover closed. But then again, it _was_ pretty dark…

Weirdest first night on the job ever! I hope I get to go back to that house again soon. ; )

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What did you think of the answer?

R&R.

Reviews make for happy writers and happy writers mean that the next chapter goes up sooner...


	2. Close Encounters

Here's my second chapter. Reviews and constructive criticism are always appreciated.

I don't own TMNT. I do own my OC and any other random OC's you may come accross.

I thought up this chapter when I was thinking life from the 'innocent bystander' perspective would look like.

Enjoy : )

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Dragons and Dateline

Dear Journal

Last night I did business with known criminals. Granted, all I did was fork over five extra-large cheese pizzas and accept the thirty-one fifty, but it still felt weird. I feel like I should tell somebody that the Purple Dragons are using that warehouse. Is it illegal if I don't? I know what my friend Macie would say "Not if nobody finds out."

Plus the whole drive over there was weird. We don't really get orders to the warehouse district; and I know that New York has some 'characters', but there was a guy on a motorcycle following me the whole way there. It was even creepier because he was wearing a hockey mask, which only brought to mind visions of horror movies past, despite the bag of sports equipment he had slung over his shoulder. At least he turned off a couple of streets before the delivery. It would have been _really_ weird to think that he actually _was_ following me.

Still no more orders from the four guys who don't live in the abandoned house. Other than that, this job is boring. Mind-numbing. Snooze-city. Snore-fest. Must I go on? I think I won't. On the plus side, school starts in a week. I never thought I'd be one to use that sentence.

Later-

I've been watching the news. Turns out my problems are solved, on the crime front that is. They did a bust of that warehouse and found all the Purple Dragons all tied up and ready to be carted off to jail. One of them passed the camera yelling something about a 'hockey mask' and 'frog costumed freaks'. Maybe he got hit in the head one too many times; or dropped as a baby. Still, hockey mask guy? Makes me wonder…

Vigilante

Dear Journal

Two of my best friends are alive. Jesse and Steph are alive, thank God. Jesse has seven broken bones and a concussion, and Steph is scared out of her wits, but they're alive. I just got back from the hospital and they told me everything. I was almost afraid to walk to my car.

Jesse and Steph were walking home from a date when they were jumped by Purple Dragons. Apparently they've been trying to recruit Jesse. He fought back, he used to be in a kickboxing league back in high-school, after all; but the keyword is _used_ to. He held them off pretty well. At least that's what the statistics say. Statistics say that Steph should be in the hospital too. I'm not gonna think about it. What I'm going to think about is what happened next. Steph says that this really ripped guy in a hockey mask just jumped in and started wailing on the muggers with sporting equipment. It gave her enough time to get Jesse away and call 911.

The muggers are in the hospital too, under arrest, but in need of medical attention after the beating they took from that Good Samaritan. When I went to visit I passed the rooms that they're in. Half of them are younger than we are, probably not halfway through high-school. What the hell?

And what's with hockey mask guy again?

Traffic

Dear Journal

They say New York traffic is the worst in the world. Actually, that's not true anymore, the title has been passed to LA, but New York traffic is still pretty bad. And as I witnessed tonight, it can be pretty weird too.

This green… well the only way I can describe it would be the child of an armored car and a tank. This car-tank cut me off today, burned rubber, crashed through a fence into an empty parking lot, and then **shot a missile at a building and drove inside!**

I'd hate to be inside that building. Heck, I'd hate to see what that thing could do in LA.

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What did you think? Was it bystander-y enough?

Next chapter- meeting those mysterious pizza order guys from chapter one! )


	3. Suspicions

Unfortunately, I still don't own TMNT.

I would like to thank my friend for proofreading this while I look for a beta. You know who you are! : )

As always, reviews and constructive criticism are most welcome.

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Dear Journal,

I didn't have to deliver any pizza today, instead I spent four hours scrubbing spray paint off of the walls of Ye Olde Cheesy Hut. Somebody (Purple Dragons *cough cough*) Painted these awful and gruesome pictures of turtles being eaten by, what else, a purple dragon. The police were out to take pictures of it earlier. It seems that it's only one of a wave of turtle related graffiti going up all over the city.

One thing for sure, New York never is dull.

Dear Journal,

Jesse's back at school today. We threw him a small party to celebrate. I brought the food. Pizza, what else? There was another order from _them_, but I wasn't the one to deliver it. There was an article about hockey mask guy in the school paper (written by Macie, of course. She's the one studying journalism). Apparently because of him there have been a dramatic spike in Purple Dragon arrests over the past few months, but there have also been a dramatic spike in Purple Dragon hospitalizations. And about half of the guys he brings down walk. However, the article also included interviews and comments with people that he's saved. The mugging rate is down, assault rate, well if you factor him in it's about the same, but take him out and that's down. And the homicide rate is down a couple of points. According to Macie's article, the numbers don't lie. Hockey Mask Guy, who has been dubbed by police 'The Vigilante' (a much cooler name in my opinion), is good for the city.

Although, I was looking through some of her notes when I helped her proofread her article and there have been some pretty strange reports lately. Almost all of the witnesses say that someone else was working with him. They all said that this accomplice was green. Every single one. One person seeing things might be believable. But a dozen?

Dear Journal,

I can't believe that girl! I know Macie's kinda crazy (ambitious she calls it) and she'd do anything to get the story that's going to 'make her career', but she's been going out to the docks at night to meet with some random homeless guy just so that she can get 'information' from him! Does she have any idea what kind of danger she's put herself in? And now she's come crying to me not because she stood there _alone_ at 'the meeting place' for _two hours_ last night waiting for the guy to show up, but because she wants me to help her find him! She thinks something might have happened to him. For an investigative journalist, she can't see a situation screaming 'horror movie!' right under her nose. Did she learn nothing from what happened to Jess and Steph? I suppose I'd better go with her. Because if I don't then she's going to go alone and God knows what kind of trouble she'll get herself into. That girl needs someone to find her a new voice of reason.

* * *

I just realized that I never mentioned that this is set in the 2003-verse.

See if you can follow the episodes : )


	4. A Gut Feeling

Hey, guess what! I own TMNT!

Hey, guess what! I'm also a gigantic liar! (I need to go check my laundry. I think I can smell my pants smoldering)

Sorry about the shortness of my chapters. I promise they will get longer.

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Dear Journal,

I was out until midnight last night scouring a dump looking for a homeless man with a friend whose idea of a 'good disguise' for a dump is to wear a yellow jumpsuit. "Because we'll look like sanitation workers." No, we looked like bananas. In the end I dragged her home at midnight because we both had school this morning. But I _was_ going to go again tonight. I'm not about to let my good friend wander the streets of New York at night. That is if what's-his-name hadn't called and told her he wasn't missing anymore promised her 'the story of a lifetime'. I still smell after three showers and I'm seriously considering making Macie pay for the new bottle of shampoo I'm going to need.

Dear Journal,

It looks like Macie's not printing the 'story of a lifetime'. I asked her about it in Western Civilizations this morning and she just growled that I wouldn't believe her if she told me. I cornered her later for the whole story. It turns out the guy started blabbering about being kidnapped by a garbage man and forced to slave away on his island of trash until he was rescued by four guys in turtle costumes. Macie's getting a new source. But something about his story seems vaguely… something. I don't think that the guy's got the story straight (seriously? An evil garbage man? What's next, space aliens?), but something seemed, well I don't know! I just have this feeling in my gut.

Dear Journal,

Physics test today. Blech. I really need a tutor. Except the only person I can think of is my brother, and he's really busy with that job of his. It's so cool that he gets to do what he loves for a living. I'm glad _somebody_ recognized his talents. I just wish that he didn't have to go on all of those business trips to Japan. I should probably call him soon. Come to think of it, I haven't gotten any e-mails from him in a while. He's probably just got some new idea for something. The last time that happened he barely left his apartment for two weeks. The landlord actually got scared and went up to see if he'd died (not kidding). When we last talked he said that they were going to start working on this really big thing soon at his company. That's probably what it is. Hard to believe we're in the same city sometimes, but that's just how he gets when he's working. I think I'll stop by his place this weekend though. Can't have him becoming a _total_ recluse.

* * *

R&R, you know what to do. Bonus points for anyone who can identify the episode!

I've got a poll up on my profile about whether or not Kate should meet the turtles or be kept in the dark about what _really _lives in NYC sewers.

Visit and make your voice heard!


	5. Rising Action

I do not own, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. : (

I didn't really know what to call this chapter because there's no name for that dramatic music that every movie uses right before they fade to black in the climax. You know. The duh duh duhhh... music. And duh duh duhhh... would be a really weird chapter name.

Bonus points to LilNinjaWolf, and Storm Uchiha for guessing correctly on the last episode: The Garbage Man. Same offer applies in this chapter. : )

Thank you to all my reviewers so far!

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Dear Journal

Steph and Jesse are devious little turds! Not really, I love my friends, but I hate blind dates! Arrrrgggh! Apparently I haven't been getting out enough. I just don't have the time! I have a full load of classes, plus the sadistic Bob making me drive all over hells bells to deliver pizza. Pizza that I can't eat. I get soooo hungry by the time my shift is over. And my car smells perpetually of pizza now. Not. Fair. Then what's that saying about life? Oh yeah, it's hard. Get a helmet.

Well, we're going to Applebees. Steph's bringing me, Jesse's bringing him. So no running. Damn. Besides I've never been one to stand a guy up. I know how that feels. Going through high-school as 'the mad scientist's little sister' was never very conducive to any dating relationship. Max had a reputation for scaring away anybody I tried to date. I suppose it won't be too bad. I _do_ trust Steph. It's this guy she's picked I don't know anything about. But I guess that's the point isn't it?

Dear Journal

It wasn't too bad. His name's Jon and he was smart, not bad looking, we had things in common. And he was horribly boring. Seriously! I thought I was going to fall asleep! Ironically, he wants to study medicine and specialize in sleep apnea. Which was about the funniest thing he said all night. I am NEVER doing anything like that again. EVER! Steph owes me big time.

Dear Journal,

Ha ha. Getting my just deserts. Well, sort of. Okay, not really. But I'm not sad in the least that Steph's little brother stole her nylons that she was washing at her mom's house while she was driving me to my blind date with Boring McBoring-pants. She said that he made up some weird story about turtles in the bathroom taking them. Going to Max's this afternoon. I shiould probably cook something to take with me. Knowing him he's been living on Chinese take-out and Mac & Cheese (I'd know if he was living on pizza. Ha ha.)

Dear Journal,

I went to visit Max today. I was right about the work stuff. This must be some big project though, because he's not even sleeping at home.

I let myself into his place with my spare key and saw the mail piled up on the floor and for a second I was afraid that something had happened to him. Then I saw the note he left for me on the back of the door. It said not to worry, that he was in the middle of a really big project, and was staying at work so that he could concentrate better on it until they got through this one really tricky part. He'd try to e-mail me when he could, but he gets lost in his work so easily… blah blah blah. At least he's not dead or something. I do wish that those guys down at Saki Towers would demand that everybody go home at night, or something like that.

I cleaned out his refrigerator. I almost took a drink of sour milk. Blech! And from the date on the note I can tell that that milk was sour long before he started sleeping at work. That brother of mine needs a girlfriend. Bad. Right now _I_ need to go find an ATM to leave him some grocery money for when he gets home.

* * *

As always R&Rs are mucho appreciated : )

Also, last chance on the poll. It closes at eleven.

Sidenote: There will be no updates this weekend. Sorry. I am going camping. Out in nature. Where there is no internet access. Hence, no updates. But I will continue writing and there will be at least one update after I get back on Sunday afternoon. Or maybe the update will come very early Monday morning (depending on how long it takes me to unpack and type). Just letting you know I didn't abandon the story or anything. Who knows, maybe being out in all that _green_ will give me some inspiration...


	6. Staying Awake

Hi there! I don't own the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Or Nirvana- Smells Like Teen Spirit. *Whew!* I'm so glad I got that off my chest!

A big thank you to all of my reviewers. To those of you who aren't why not?

Okay. I had a _lot_ of trouble with this chapter. This is the one where Kate meets the turtles. I went through a lot of scenarios before I got it down to this one. I hope you like it.

As the title suggests, this one is written while Kate is trying to stay awake.

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Dear Journal,

You think of the most random things when you're locked in the trunk of your own car being driven who-knows-where by Purple Dragons. Of course, most of your thoughts are somewhere along the lines of "Ohmigod! Ohmigod! I'm locked in my own trunk! I'm locked in my own trunk!" and "I'm going to die! I'm going to die!" But then there is the occasional random thought. They usually end with 'if I live'. Like, "Macie's going to get a kick out of this. If I live." And "I wonder if I'll still get paid to the end of the week if I get kidnapped. If I live, that is." And "How am I going to explain these dents I hope I'm putting in the ceiling to the mechanic, if I live."

There are lots of thoughts about how to escape. Like "Why did I put off buying a tire-iron?" And "Why are tail-lights so darn hard to kick out?" And "Isn't there an inside latch around here somewhere?"

But there isn't a lot of time for that. Well, that's what it seems like. They say time flies when you're having fun. It also flies when you're trying to pull a Houdini. But I don't think that the saying is going to get amended any time soon.

I was just minding my own business, walking back to my car after not visiting my brother when three Purple Dragons jumped me and started dragging me towards my own car. Of course, I started kicking and screaming and hollering bloody murder. That's what you're supposed to do. Well, they somehow got my purse away from me and got my keys out and they threw me into my own trunk. It's kind of embarassing actually. I thought I would've lasted longer, done some damage maybe. Max says that when I'm scared I fight dirty. He oughta know. (He doesn't sneak up on me in the dark anymore after that time I accidentally kneed him where the sun don't shine. In my defense, I'd just seen my first scary movie and he grabbed me _before _he yelled 'boo'. So it was an _accident_!) Anywho, back to the trunk of the car.

The car, _my_ car, started swerving wildly and I heard a lot of yelling. For a second I thought that maybe the police were chasing them but I realized that I didn't hear sirens. But I couldn't really concentrate on what was going on around me because I was getting thrown around all over the place. I hit my head on my trunk (stupid enclosed spaces!) and then everything went black, just like in the movies except it hurt like hell.

When I woke up the car was stopped. I could hear someone moving around outside, but just barely over the music blasting in the background. Nirvana- Smells Like Teen Spirit. I was trying to decide what to do (what I _could_ do, still being in the trunk and all with a killer headache), when my problems were solved for me. The trunk popped open, then whoever it was said "Whoa. That's not a spare tire." and ran off while my eyes were still adjusting to the light. I sat up and looked around. All I could think was 'My head hurts' not exactly my most glorious moment. How do action heroes do it? Oh right, they're fictional. Silly me.

I was just about to climb out when an elevator rose up out of the concrete and four _giant mask-wearing turtles!_ stepped out. Suddenly everything made sense. Giant turtles in Steph's bathroom. Guy's in turtle costumes rescuing that homeless guy. The Vigilante's green accomplice. I was looking at 'em.

"I'm tellin' ya, there's a girl in the trunk!" One of them was saying. The others saw me. "Um, we believe you Raph." The one with the blue mask said. There was a moment of mutual shock and then they just walked over and helped me out of the trunk. I still hadn't gotten over my shock yet. "What's your name?" The one with the orange mask asked. I told them, then puked on Raph's feet.

Turns out I have a concussion. Donatello, the one who wears the purple mask, won't let me sleep, because apparently that's what you're supposed to do for a concussion. I also have ice wrapped around my head because apparently you're also supposed to do that. I have no comment on how dorky I look because the ice feels really good. I asked him how he knows all this and they all just snickered. Internet and experience. I don't know whether to be scared or fascinated. My life is in the hands of a guy who got his 'doctorate' from Google.

They also won't let me go home yet because A: I'm still under observation (to make sure I don't need more than first-aid. I don't want to know what happens if I do) and B: they found this flyer in my car that the Purple Dragons left there. I don't know why they'd want to kidnap me, or where they got my senior photo, or why I'd be worth five grand to anyone who does. Heck, _I _don't even have five grand in my savings account. But I'll work on that tomorrow when the headache's passed and after Don's let me go to sleep. Ironic. I'm more safe on the couch of mask-wearing green strangers who know how to build an X-Ray machine from scratch (again, I subscribe to the 'ignorance is bliss' theory regarding the X-Ray) than I am in my own home.

Oh, I forgot to mention! Their dad is really cool. He's a rat. And yes, I've pinched myself several times so I _know_ that I'm not hallucinating all of this, which considering the concussion is a possibility. His name is Splinter and he told me this really amazing story about how they came to be. There was a blind man crossing the street, and this can of ooze was washed into the sewers- I don't think I'm telling it right. But the ooze in the can mutated them into what they are now and he named them from a book on the Renaissance and trained them to be ninjas. Their names are Leonardo (Leo), Donatello (Don), Raphael (I've been told to call him Raph, or ELSE. Also to not puke on him again), and Michelangelo (Mikey).

Donatello just came in and told me that I could go to sleep. Finally, I am soooo tired. More explaining tomorrow. At least there had better be.

I just realized something: I have a lot of questions and everyone else just went to bed! Why is my car _here_? Where _is_ 'here'? And what happened to being kidnapped? Why am I always the last to realize these things. Oh well, cut me some slack. I just lost a few brain cells.

Crap! I missed work! I didn't call in sick (or kidnapped) or anything! I am so fired.

* * *

What will happen next? Why are the Purple Dragons out to kidnap a harmless OC? Does it have anything to do with her missing brother? Will Kate keep her job? Will I stop talking in this announcer voice? Tune in uhhhh Later to find out on... The Weirdest Pizza Job Ever! (Play theme music)

*PSA*

Don: Hi, Donatello here kids. If you or someone you know hits their head and has a concussion, you should never try to treat it yourself. Even if you do know how to look up the correct procedures and you _do_ have your own homemade X-Ray machine. Always let the professionals handle it. Unless they want to dissect you-  
Me: STOP HELPING!

Well, you know the drill. R&R. Sorry, this doesn't correlate an episode so no bonus points available.


	7. Reality

I don't own the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, I enjoy confusing people, and there is no pie. Sorry folks.

A big thank you to all of my reviewers. You guys make my day. : )

And to those of you who aren't reviewing (and I know that you're out there), go ahead, make my day.  
Sorry, I couldn't resist. X D

Now, on with the chapter!

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Dear Journal,

I woke up this morning (actually it was one in the afternoon) to an orange-masked turtle in my face. Naturally I screamed. Then he screamed, then I screamed some more. Then he shouted "Dude! Why are you screaming?" And I shouted back "Because you're not a dream!" I then proceeded to have the mental breakdown I predicted last night. I pulled a pillow over my head and started saying "This shouldn't be real." repeatedly. When Mikey pulled the pillow away I squeezed my eyes shut and started clicking my heels together and chanting "There's no place like home." while Don explained to his confused brothers the reason that I was so sane last night- I put off coping with the shock of finding out that the rumors about giant sewer reptiles are true in order to deal with the medical emergency at hand. Now that it had passed I could deal like a normal person: denial.

Suffice it to say that I did _not_ start the day off on the right foot. Not my proudest moment. I hope I didn't offend the guys who saved my butt.

Not that I'm ungrateful for the whole butt-saving, but I'm just looking forward to getting my excuse notes in order, collecting class notes from my friends, convincing Bob not to fire me, and getting back to my normal, average life. I've had way more than enough excitement to last me for a looong time.

Dear Journal,

My apartment is exactly as I left it. Everything seems the same on the surface. Aside from all of the messages on my answering machine asking where I went and what the heck is going on, life seems just like it always was. I called work, gave them the 'I was mugged and had to go to the hospital' excuse. Not that that's a classic or anything. Bob was mad, but at least he didn't fire me.

The world is different now. Don't ask me how because I spent an hour looking out my window at the city and everything looked like it always has. But it's different. I can't un-see what I've seen, I can't un-know what I know. There's this concept called paradigm. It's basically that you have your own world. Your perception is your reality. A paradigm shift is when something happens to make you see your reality differently. I believe the situation qualifies.

This is one REALLY REALLY big secret I've stumbled into. I think that I'm only just beginning to realize what it means and already my head feels like it's going to explode. And the most amazing thing of all is that life goes on around me. It's not so amazing. This is New York City- the city that never sleeps. Life here moves, flows, and goes on en masse despite the personal triumphs and tragedies of the individual. It's what's so great and so unpleasant about the city.

The world can change irreversibly and everyone will keep moving forward, ignorant of what has taken place right beneath their feet.

* * *

R&R.

Next chapter, we finally find out what's rotten in the state of New York. Kate finds out why her brother's been gone, but is it a question she really wants answered? And if he's been in the employ of Saki, will he be friend or foe? *Dramatic teaser music* Tune in next time to find out.


	8. SOS

I still don't own the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (does anyone know where it says we have to do these disclaimers?)

* * *

Dear Journal,

Today was surprisingly normal. I went to school, played catch-up with my teachers, brushed off my friends' concern for my well-being. I went to work, delivered pizzas, scrubbed some pots (part of the Revenge of Bob), and came home. There was this guy that was standing out in the middle of the street three blocks from my building; I practically had to swerve into oncoming traffic to avoid him. So yeah, normal day.

Then I got a call from someone I'd never met, but had heard about: April.

She'd heard about me from Don and wanted to come meet me and 'drop off something I might need'. When I opened the door an hour later she handed me several grocery bags containing enough first aid supplies to start a small clinic. Which, she explained, I probably would be doing. In addition there was a book containing detailed instructions for how to treat anything from a black eye to a gunshot wound, a page which had already been bookmarked. The extent of the supplies that she called a 'kit' made me wonder just how much action my new friends see. I hope I don't find out.

April herself was extremely friendly. She even brought homemade cookies and we sat and talked for a while. She used to be a scientist until she found out her boss was a maniac. That's when she met the Hamatos. They saved her butt just like they saved mine. Then she had to live in the Lair for a couple of weeks while she got back on her feet and that pretty much made them permanent fixtures in her life. Even though she's been moved out for a couple of months now she drops by every now and then, but it's much more common for them to come to her. Especially when they need some patching up in a hurry or a place to go to ground for the night if someone's tailing them. She suspects that they won't want to 'impose' on me if they don't have to, but it never hurts to be prepared. I suspect that she also wanted to size me up. April seems slightly protective of 'the guys'. I think she thinks of them as the butt-kicking little brothers she never had. I'm not sure, but I think I passed inspection. She invited me to their weekly movie night on Sunday, so I'd say that means I passed. And a huuuuuge bonus: she's going to let me use her washer and dryer! I don't have free access to laundry facilities in this building, so I've been spending a fortune in quarters every month to wash my clothes. Forget the butt-kicking ninjas, April O'Neil has just become my hero.

Dear Journal,

I know why the Purple Dragons were after me. Oh Max. Max, Max, Max. Why did I tell you to go for that job? If I hadn't been so darn 'supportive' he wouldn't be in this mess.

When I checked my voicemails after work tonight there was one from Max. He was whispering into the phone and he sounded more scared than I'd ever heard him. Raw fear. I think that's the best way to describe it.

He said that Saki Technologies wasn't what it seemed. That something sinister was going on there and he'd figured it out. And now they wouldn't let him leave unless he agreed to build 'it' for them. He said that the fewer details I knew the better, because he'd heard them talking and they'd set a plan in motion to use me as leverage. He'd managed to sneak to a phone and was calling to tell me to get the heck out of Dodge. Then someone in the background yelled 'hey you, get away from there!' Max said "Your birthday present is in my sock drawer. Don't do anything stupid. I love you Katie." And the message ended. I don't know where to go. The police will probably think I'm nuts. And without proof they can't do anything. I called Don (he left me the Lair's number, in case of emergencies) and played him the message. I just wanted to let them know why I was in that trunk. But he just got really quiet and said that they would be over in a few minutes. I can't stop thinking about Max. I should have done something sooner! Filed a missing person's report, something! How could I have been so stupid…

The guys are going to be here any minute. I need to go wash my face and unlock the window.

He's all I have. I can't lose him. I just can't.

I swear to you Max, I will find you. No matter how many stupid things I have to do.

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Please R&R.

As always, a ginormous thank you to my reviewers. You guys rock!

There are bonus points available in this chapter for finding the episode reference. (I'm back to following the canon, hurrah!)


	9. Back to Normalcy

Hey There! This is another chapter!

Alas! I am not Eastman, nor am I Laird! So I do not own any of their genius works! :( All I've got are a couple of OC's .  
And this one also has a couple of references to other things I do not own: Sherlock Holmes, The Big Bang Theory, and Office Depot.  
(That sounds like the beginning of a corny joke)

Thanks again to all of my reviewers, you guys are the bright spots in my day that keep me writing!  
Now, on with the chapter!

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Dear Journal,

And I thought their lives sounded like a comic book already. So Oroku Saki is really a super-villain. Figures. I'd make fun of his name if it weren't for the situation. Okay, maybe I will anyways. The Shredder? Is he trying to take over Office Depot? Why not The Stapler?

I haven't done anything except work and school in three days. I even turned down a date. It was the hot guy who sits two rows ahead of me in physics too. Macie called me an idiot when she found out, but I just don't feel like going anywhere. Don promised he'd look as hard as he could. Where are you Max?

Dear Journal,

April dragged me against my will away from her washing machine to Donatello's birthday party. You know you're depressed when: you turn down a date to spend a perfectly good Friday night doing laundry. Unless you're Sheldon Cooper.

I thought that they were older. Guess you can kick butt at the age of fifteen (well, he's sixteen now. Happy B-Day Donnie).

We had to stop at Wal-Mart on the way so that I could get him a present. It's bad form to show up at a birthday party without a present. Technically, it was April picking a present and I just nodded and paid for it. I bought him some computer thingy that I have no idea of the function of, but it only cost fifteen dollars. I also bought him a mug that said 'genius' on it. That one was my idea. It seemed appropriate since one of my strongest memories of the night I met them besides being concussed and puking on Raph's feet, was that Don had a cup of coffee in his hand pretty much the entire time. I think he's addicted or something because he was able to stay awake until four in the morning with almost practiced ease. And I never saw that coffee mug empty.

The party was fun. Mikey made the food. It was really good for me to get out and do something. We sang. They have a different version of 'Happy birthday' it goes: "Happy Birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. You live in the sewers, and you smell like it too." Then they sing the normal version. There were candles and cake and ice-cream. Mikey designed a poster for a new party game: pin the throwing star on the Foot ninja. We all played. Only the real ninjas wore blindfolds (for obvious safety reasons). I still almost broke a lamp. Thank goodness for Leo's reflexes. It was still fun though, even though it ended in a fight (we should have been clear on scoring beforehand) so there was no real winner.

And of course there were presents. Leo gave him some Chinese firecrackers. He looked really happy to see those. A little too happy. Mikey gave him some really good coffee blend. Yup, definitely an addict. He practically started drooling. Raph gave him some mechanical stuff that I am not knowledgeable about, but went over well. April gave him a bunch of computer stuff. No clue what the function is, but he seemed happy. He liked my present. Which is good since I have no idea what the heck I gave him. He got a real kick out of the mug. Splinter gave him a book he'd found on feudal Japan. It looked thick enough to be a dictionary. That was the best present. His eyes jut lit up when he opened it.

This guy named Casey showed up half-way through the party, ate three pieces of cake, gave Donny a bag of M&M's and a half-busted obsolete walk-man, and tripped over a chair and broke it. I am confused as to how this klutz knows them. He didn't even notice I was in the room, which is okay. I'm used to it. I'm a very ignorable person. That scene from that movie Princess Diaries where a guy accidentally sits on the girl. Yeah, that's happened to me. More than once.

So, after food and presents and almost breaking stuff we all watched Sherlock Holmes. They hadn't seen it yet. I saw it with Macie and Steph when it was in theaters, but it's good so I didn't mind seeing it again.

Donnie had it figured out by the end. Mikey was asleep and muttering something about 'Turtle Titan', also drooling. Raph and Casey got up and left halfway through. I think they got in an argument and wanted to 'settle it'. And Leo thought that it was totally weird that the hero was in love with a criminal. Raph had come back in time to catch the ending and we all ganged up on him for that. Sherlock Holmes and Irene Adler are supposed to wind up together! I mean, they're the only people in the world equal to each other! Their being on opposite sides of the law is just a complication. He says that he'd never fall for an enemy. Raph came back with "Oh come on. You can't be tellin' me that if you had to fight some katana weildin' babe you wouldn't be at least thinkin' 'Hey, she's hot'?" Leo says that he'd only think that if she was an honorable opponent, but that he'd probably be more focused on beating her. Raph was just like "Yeah, riiiiight." Don ended the conversation with "Come on, what are the odds of that ever happening?"

When it was time to head home I pulled Raph aside. It was really awkward, but I had to apologize for barfing on him. I gave him a Foo Fighters CD as a peace offering.  
I am forgiven. But I get the feeling that he'd be laughing the hardest if something of a similar nature happened to me.

As I was leaving Mikey woke up. I wonder how long it'll take him to figure out that Raph wrote 'Dork' on his face. From what I hear it's payback. Mikey put blue food coloring in the shower head a week ago.

Dear Journal,

Huge Civ test today. Gaaah! I didn't study! Oh, yeah. Birthday party.

Why am writing when I should be studying! Gaaaaah!

-Later

Well, that wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Who knew that cramming would actually work? The guys ordered pizza again today. I had to go deliver it. They were surprised to see me for some reason. Dude, I work at your pizza place. I'm going to deliver to you every now and then.

I saw the hockey mask guy again on his motorcycle. I can't put my finger on it, but there's something kinda familiar about him…

Steph and Jesse have been trying to get me to go paintballing with a bunch of their other friends. They've been nagging me about it all week. I keep saying no. I'm not fond of bruises, thank you.

* * *

Well, what did you think?  
R&R or I'll sic the plot bunnies on you! Muahahahaha- *cough* *gag* just review okay!


	10. Secrets Uncovered

I do not own TMNT or anything besides my OC's.

Thank you to all of my reviewers. : )

Sorry for how choppy this chapter is. I kinda had to pack a lot of action into it or post three really short chapters.

* * *

Dear Journal,

Macie's in on it too. Now all of my friends are trying to get me to go paintballing. Oh what the heck. Why not? Who says that peer pressure is always a bad thing? Who knows, I may surprise myself and have a little fun. My friends are always telling me that I need to get a life outside of school.

Dear Journal,

Today, I was walking to my car after I was done with work, wondering how I was going to drive home with a busted steering wheel. Because if I had to drive one more mile I was _going_ to pull the steering wheel out myself. Then a hand reached out from under my car and grabbed my ankle. I kicked and was about to yell but then I heard a familiar voice moan "Owww." "MIKEY! What the hell were you doing?" I asked him, not sure if I wanted the answer. "Waiting." He replied. "I couldn't get the car door open so I had to wait down here. I had to get your attention somehow if I didn't want to be a turtle pancake." Disregarding the fact that he was trying to break into my car, I told him that he could have just announced his presence and he said "Oh. I hadn't thought of that." Of course he hadn't.

The reason he was under my car was that he'd been sent to tell me that they had news about Max and that I should probably come down to the Lair right away. Suddenly driving became my favorite pastime. In my gratitude I let Mikey play with the radio and now I have 'Don't Worry Be Happy' stuck in my head. I asked him why he listened to that song and he just shrugged and said to blame the radio station, they're the ones who played it. I am startled by the strange sense he makes sometimes. I am still humming that song.

I took the opportunity while I was talking to just one of them to ask a question that's been on my mind for a while. "Mikey. Why does Raph have a Brooklyn accent?" He almost did a spit take and he wasn't even drinking anything. He doesn't know either. In fact, he's never really noticed it until I brought it up. But I get the feeling that he won't rest until he finds out. If you ever read this Raph, I'm sorry.

So when we got to the Lair there was a bunch of stuff lying out on Don's workbench. I recognized all of it. They said that they'd been busting up a Foot hideout down by the docks, but they must have gotten wind of it and abandoned the place. They found a tiny room, more like a closet, with all that stuff in it. The picture of him and me at my high school graduation gave away that it was Max's. There was a bunch of his tools and gadgets too. Even some of his notes. Donny says that this is really good because now they have a trail to follow. He salvaged some computers and, even though it might take some time, he may be able to figure out what they were making Max work on. That's really really good. Except it will probably take time. So more waiting. I hate that damsel in distress feeling.

Dear Journal,

Jess got his casts off today. We go paintballing tomorrow to celebrate. I am assured that the plastic armor will prevent most bruises. This will be fun. This will be fun This will be fun...

Dear Journal,

Paintballing was sooo much fun! I'm really glad I went, even though my arms are covered in tiny circular bruises. They don't hurt that bad. What I really want to know is how to get the paint out of my clothes…

Okay, thank you Google. I just have to get to April's right away to wash them before they stain. I hope she doesn't mind…

Dear Journal,

I shouldn't have been surprised by what I saw when I got there, but I couldn't help it. Don was trying to take apart her toaster oven, Leo was meditating on the dining room table. Raph was doing one handed push-ups, Splinter was watching a soap opera, and Mikey was cooking or I think he was trying to. Actually he was yelling at Don to hurry up with the toaster oven. At least, this is what they got back to doing as soon as they saw that it was me at the door, not someone who had no idea of the existence of mutant turtles. April looked slightly frazzled. I think that having four teenagers and their father move into your one person apartment was beginning to wear on her sanity. And come to find out that they'd only been there for the afternoon.

For some reason the sewers are crawling with Foot ninja, making it unsafe for them to go home. So April's putting them up. I know that my place is actually smaller than hers, but with how nice she's been to me I felt compelled to offer… if she needed a break either she or they could bunk at my place for a night or two. She looked really grateful. The clothes were in the middle of the spin cycle when a guy in a hockey mask jumped through the window. I screamed. Everybody looked at me weird. I realized that it was The Vigilante and felt really embarrassed, but the first scary movie I ever saw was Friday the Thirteenth, so if a guy in a hockey mask jumps through the window and I don't know him my first instinct is to scream. He took off the mask and revealed himself to be Casey from Don's birthday party. So that explains why he was there.

Dear Journal,

I don't believe it! Macie's just published a story with facts gained from a 'mysterious source'. She promised me that she wasn't going to be doing any more of these late night meetings with dark strangers. Promised! Has she never seen a movie? This is how they all start! She's going to be the screaming victim in an alley!  
I will not lose Macie. And I will not dress up like a banana again. This has to end now!

Dear Journal,

I'm just as bad as she is. Tonight I followed Macie to her 'mysterious source' meeting. It was a guy in a trench coat and a fedora who handed her a manila envelope. Just like in a fifties movie.  
Hiding in the shadows like that I could have easily been jumped myself. Which Macie happily pointed out to me when I confronted her after her 'source' left. Of course, I probably could have fought off an attacker with my taser, unlike her. She didn't even think to bring a taser or a can of mace! And I thought that she was walking into dangerous situations _before_ I got thrown into my own trunk!  
I drove her home. She wouldn't talk about anything relevant the whole way there. She just kept saying how this was going to be her big break. Her big scoop. This guy is a low-on-the-chain Purple Dragon (red flags! red flags!) who is tired of being in the gang. She's trying to get him to turn himself in because you can't just quit the Purple Dragons. Unless you get caught. But he's brought her info a couple of times. Once she even convinced him to make an anonymous tip to the police. Now he says he has something big, but he can only get it to her in bits and pieces.

So now the question is how do you convince Lois Lane that going after a dangerous story is a bad idea? Because Macie's just as stubborn and she's got a talent for sticking her nose into trouble.

* * *

R&R Please : )

Mikey's looking up at you with puppy dog eyes. How can you resist the puppy dog eyes?


	11. Hospitality

Calloo Callay oh frabjous day!  
My computer is fixed! Sorry about the wait, but malfunctions are malfunctions. Anyways here is the chapter.

I am neither Eastman nor Laird, therefore I do not own TMNT. It would be awesome if I did though.

On with the chapter! I promise you hilarity!

* * *

Dear Journal,

I am what you might call a flopper, or, what girls at slumber parties refer to, as a sprawler. Essentially, if you take the space on the floor next to me, you're probably going to wake up moved over a few feet with my hand in your mouth. And for some reason I always wake up with a foot or an arm hanging off of my bed.  
Why is this relevant? I have no idea. But I thought of it because this morning, I woke up to someone poking the foot that was hanging over the side of my bed. I kicked whoever it was and muttered for them to stop, at least that's what I thought I was muttering. I heard someone say "What's that about Alaska and the mop?" That woke me up.

I flipped over and looked up at the four turtles staring down at me. In bed. In my pajamas. Flopping. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE!" I yelled.  
"April kicked us out this morning. It probably had something to do with Raph sleepwalking into her room and punching a hole in her wall." Leo explained. Raph just smiled apologetically and shrugged as if he punches holes in walls every day. When you think about it, he probably does. "Oh." I said. That was a logical reason for kicking someone out.

Then I returned to the situation at hand. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING IN MY ROOM!" "Oh that. Don can't find the coffee. Or the coffee-pot for that matter."  
Face-palm. I explained to them that I don't have a coffee-pot because I don't drink coffee. Personally, I think the stuff tastes like dirt water. Donnie almost went into cardiac arrest when he heard that there was no coffee.  
And that is the story of how I got up at six A.M. and walked down the street to buy instant coffee that I don't even like for a guy who broke into my apartment, and will be staying there with his three brothers and father for three days. Yeah. That's not messed up at all. Or maybe I'm just cranky because I don't drink coffee. At least Mikey made me breakfast.

Dear Journal,

I went to April's during lunch to see what was up with the 'rude awakening'. Raph did indeed punch a hole in her bedroom wall. And he didn't just sleepwalk into her room, he kicked the door in. Poor April. Well, she's going to need some professional guys to come and do the drywall, so they need to be out of the apartment for a few days. Raph wanted to go to Casey's, but Master Splinter shot that down. So April directed them my way. She didn't think that they would leave at five A.M.  
Well, it looks like I've got some houseguests for a couple of days. I'd better hit the store on the way home, because I am NOT delivering pizza to my own apartment.

Dear Journal,

I must be the most stupid idiot on the face of the planet. I copied the contact info for Macie's Purple Dragon contact and the contents from the manila envelope. I don't know why Macie hasn't beat down a path to my door yet because what was in the envelope was the wanted flyer for me. I don't know what I'm going to do with all of this yet, but just having it is stupid. What am I going to do, meet him? Tell him I don't want my friend getting hurt? This is insane!  
And how am I going to hide it when I have five ninjas staying at my apartment for three days?

Dear Journal,

I don't know how April does it. To be frank, I don't know how Splinter does it. I got home and he was watching a soap opera in the living room, ignoring the chaos going on around him. Perhaps that's his secret. Feigning ignorance.

Raph and Leo were in the hall playing darts. William Tell style. I didn't know that butter-knives could even reach the kind of velocity necessary to embed themselves in drywall. You learn something new every day. Right now they're learning how to spackle.

Mikey's not too hard to occupy. He looooves to cook. And he's going to town with the access to my fully stocked pantry. Tonight we had fettuccini (homemade pasta! He can make homemade pasta!) with some kind of pesto sauce. I asked him where he learned to cook like this and he just shrugged and said "Donnie's not the only one who can learn stuff off the internet."

Speaking of Donatello, I found him in the bathroom after dinner mixing some chemicals and _that_ immediately raised some red flags. I'm going to go Google the really long word that he gave me as an explanation when I asked him what he was doing.

I'm a little on edge right now. But that's to be understood considering that I just stopped a sixteen-year-old from making delicate explosives in my bathroom. He could have blown us all up! I am really surprised that Mikey's the easiest one to handle.

I put the manila envelope at the bottom of my underwear drawer. I've put Master Splinter on watch and he's assured me that if they so much as set foot in my room there'll be hell to pay.  
Okay, he didn't say it like that, but the meaning was pretty much the same. No ninjas in my room. So my secrets are safe. For now.

Dear Journal,

I don't know why they call Don the quiet one. Sure, he's sort of shy, but he's WAY more trouble than any of his brothers. I'm seriously considering asking Leo to tie him to the couch and forcing him to watch infomercials. I'm at my wits end with him! It's three in the morning. I woke up and got up to go use the bathroom and he was still up and on my computer. I went out there to tell him to go to bed and I saw a CIA logo on the screen. So I asked him what he was doing. This is what he said. "Oh nothing. Just trying to change the CIA department directors' letterheads to read Culinary Institute of America." "What? Why?" "The CIA has some very interesting cyber-security measures. I've always wanted to see if I could go up against them. Now that I'm not the repair service for everything in the Lair, I have more free time than ever!" "And you're using your free time to get me arrested!" "Oh, you don't have to worry about that. This is a cake-walk. I've been covering my tracks so well that even the programmers themselves won't know that I've been in there."  
I am so dead. I wonder how I'm going to explain to the CIA operatives that I've suddenly lost the ability to hack. Now I can't sleep. But I probably should stop writing and try.

Dear Journal,

I take back what I said about Mikey being the little angel. Oh, and I won't be needing an alarm clock while they're here. I woke up to the sounds of what I believe is known as a 'swirly'. Mikey found my multi-color sharpies and, well, let's just say that the only thing more colorful than Raph's language this morning was his shell. It is currently six _thirty_. Only forty-five minutes before I would normally be up. That's a little better than yesterday. I probably ought to get out there and assess the damage. Maybe I can prevent some more.

Oh, and Leo's a tea snob. He wants me to go all the way to Chinatown and pay suckers prices for 'the real stuff'. Sorry zen-boy, you'll just have to see past the illusion of discomfort or whatever and stomach the Lipton that I can afford on pizza delivery wages. If it's good enough for Splinter, it's good enough for you.  
I just heard a crash. Better go check it out. One thing about living with these guys, it keeps you on your toes. After one day my reflexes are better than they've ever been.

Dear Journal,

Had the dream again last night. I woke sitting up in bed screaming with four ninjas running into my room, weapons drawn. Splinter followed shortly after them. When they found out that it's a recurring thing I wound up having to explain it to them. Donatello told me to write it down. He says that he used to have a recurring nightmare and that after writing it down he stopped having it. Master Splinter says that in talking about it with others and gaining their support I began the process of purging the nightmare from my system. Sounds kinda like a bad piece of cheese when you put it that way. I guess I'll try Don's thing. If that doesn't work I'll take Raph's advice and hit something.

Here goes:  
In my dream I'm standing in a laboratory, surrounded by tables filled with scientific equipment and people with lab coats, all looking busy. I'm looking for Max. No one notices me. I go up and down the rows looking for him, but I can't find him. And then I hear him calling my name. I yell out "Max!" and the lab disappears. In its place is a huge bare room with Max in the center. I try to go to him but I can't move. I try to call his name, but I can't. A ninja without a mask on appears, but I can never make out his face. I know who he is though: Shredder. Oroku Saki. Suddenly Max has a rope wrapped around him. He's trapped. I try to run to him, but I can't move. It's like somebody super-glued my feet to the floor. He's saying "No! You can't make me." A deep booming voice says "Now that Kate is here we can make you do anything! We have won!" Max looks straight at me and hangs his head in defeat. I can feel something wrap around me and I try to get away, to move. I cry out for help, for the guys to save me. Then Leo, Raph, Don, and Mikey appear in the background; they've got handcuffs on and they can't move either. I know then that we've lost. Shredder starts laughing. I try to block it out of my head, but I can't. It echoes and echoes. Then I wake up with the laughter of an evil man ringing in my ears and the looks of defeat and hopelessness on my friends and family's faces burned into my memory.

There. I wrote it down. That kinda made me feel a little better. Like I got it out of my system. That and telling everybody about it. It felt good to talk about it to somebody. I can't tell Macie or Steph or Jesse about any of this. So they don't even know that Max has been abducted. I've tried to be brave, to keep going but Splinter made me say it out loud "I'm not fine."  
I'm not okay. What's happened here is wrong and it's alright for me to be scared out of my skin.

Leo's been sitting in here the whole time, watching me. Not in a weird 'I'm making sure you don't do anything' way, but like he's watching over me. The word that comes first to my mind is 'guardian'. It's strangely comforting. Max used to do the exact same thing whenever I had a nightmare as a kid. Our bedroom walls were paper thin so he heard before the sounds reached all the way down the hall to Mom and Dad's room and he'd be the first one there. And then once they were gone… well, Max has just always been my Night Watchman, keeping me safe from bad dreams. I've never had a nightmare with him in it. Until now.

Extra groceries: $35.00. Parts for broken toilet: $15.00 Turtle group hug: Priceless.  
They may be a little extra trouble. Okay, a lot of extra trouble. But these guys are just amazing when it comes to having your back. Be it pulling you out of a car trunk, taking care of a concussion, trying to find a missing brother, or even a just a nightmare. Once again, I owe them big time. They say they're in my debt for putting them up, but I'm still paying off my debt to them.

Leo looks tired, I'm going to go to bed now so that he can get some rest. They're such good people that they don't even know that I'm in their debt.

* * *

Well, am I not a keeper of my word?

That was a question. You'll have to review to give me the answer.

Oh, and sorry that this chapter didn't do much to forward the plot, but there will be another one very, very soon.  
That's the nice thing about a forced mini-hiatus, when the writer comes back, you get a short burst of chapters one right after the other.

R&R! The plot bunnies love reviewers.


	12. Twists and Turns

Okay, this is the plot moving chapter that I promised.  
Sorry that it took so long, but while I was writing it I got several ideas for where to go from here and I had to stop and decide on the course to follow.  
Don't worry though, the path is set.

The sky is blue, the earth is round, and I don't own TMNT.

* * *

Dear Journal,

Woke up at six forty-five to the smell of instant coffee. I didn't mind the earliness. For a second I thought that Max was back. He loves coffee. I hate the taste, but love the smell. Then I remembered that it was Don. Since I couldn't go back to sleep I got up, dressed, and went out to the living room to see what was up. Don was sitting at the computer doing something with formulas. It's all gibberish to me. Raph and Mike were still sleeping. Splinter was meditating, and Leo was nowhere to be found. So technically, Donnie and I were the only ones up.

I asked him what he was doing and he spouted off some techno-babble. I think I recognized the word alloy. At least it's not a bomb. I just sat there and nodded. When he finished I said "That sounds really cool." He just looked at me weird and said "You have no idea what I just said do you?" "Not a clue. But you don't have to explain it. I can tell you're really excited about this, so I'm happy for you." He just blinked. "Grew up with a genius brother. I don't know what half the stuff he invented actually does, just that it makes him happy. And I love seeing his eyes light up when he's happy. Of course, _my_ brother never tried to hack the government. Or blow us all to kingdom come." He rolled his eyes and muttered something like "I knew what I was doing. And we _weren't_ going to blow up." I wish I had a camera, because he looked exactly like a sulking teen. Except I don't think most teens sulk about high explosives. I could tell the conversation was going sour, so I asked him where Leo was. "The roof." he said "There's not enough space in here for him to get in his morning practice."

I got my jacket and climbed the fire-escape. He was up there doing some moves with his swords. I think they're called kata, I keep forgetting the name. I hope I got it right. Anyways, I sat on a ledge and waited for him to finish before I spoke up.  
"I never got a chance to thank you." I said "For what?" "For sticking around last night." He tried to shrug it off, like it was no big deal and head down the fire escape. I had to grab his arm to get him to stay and talk. "Hey, you didn't have to do that. But you did. So I'm saying thank you. Is that so hard to accept? Or does your ninja code of honor _require _you to look after girls who have bad dreams? Sheesh, I know you feel like you have to take care of everybody, but is it really this hard for you to accept a simple 'thank you'?" That stumped him. He just stood there with his mouth open for a second. "Let's try this again Leo. Thank you for sticking around last night _when you didn't have to_. It was a very thoughtful thing to do." He bowed (he actually freaking bowed) and said "You are welcome. I only wanted to make sure that the nightmares didn't return." Well. It's a start. I'll have him saying "S'cool." in no time.

To tell the truth, this whole dream thing has me even more worried about Max. Don can't chase any leads without his lab. And Macie's guy might be the only solid thing we get until those ninjas are gone from the sewers. I think I always knew what I had to do, I just didn't want to face the fact that it's a coin-flip risk. But I'm getting desperate. This is something _I_ can do to get Max back. Me. On my own. No damsel in distress. Sometimes you have to take risks to get a payoff…

Dear Journal,

I made contact by phone. I'm meeting him tomorrow for lunch. We're going to make it look like a date in case either of us is followed, so we're going to this coffee shop near the college. I'm bringing my taser and the shell-cell that Don gave me, just in case. I can't help but think how big of a hypocrite I'm being. Now I just have to keep the four ninjas from finding out about my secret meeting with a Purple Dragon. Yeah. Should be simple. At least they'll be gone by then.

I'm almost sorry to see them go. I'm definitely going to miss Mikey's cooking. He made me a sack lunch today. I felt like I was in grade-school. He handed it to me at the door and everything. It was so cute, very domestic. When I opened it there was a note inside that said "Thanks for letting us crash at your place. Sorry about the VCR. =P" Now I'm kinda worried because I don't own a VCR.

Oh, and I sat down during one of Splinter's soaps. Once they get explained to you everything makes sense. And once they make sense they're addictive! I think I'm going to keep watching to find out if Maria tells Brad that the baby is really Troy's and if Troy tells anybody that Brad is really his long-lost brother. Man the suspense is killing me.

*Sigh* They leave for April's tonight, after dark. My apartment is really small, but in three days I've managed to get used to having six people living there. It's going to seem a little empty for a while.

Dear Journal,

I just found what Mikey did to my stereo system. Have fun April!  
Oh, and the baby is really _Chad's_. Chad is Brad's evil twin, well they don't use the term evil-twin, but he's a twin and he's an antagonist, so yeah, evil-twin. Didn't see that one coming.

Dear Journal,

Well, today didn't go as planned. I went to the coffee shop, sat in a back corner, and waited for him to show up (I'd told him that I'd be the one in the green scarf reading Hamlet. It felt like a fifties movie.)  
He showed up about fifteen minutes after I sat down. Funny, he didn't look like a gang banger. More like a normal guy. He never knew that I had the mini audio-recorder taped to the under-side of the table.  
The first thing he said was "Before you ask, I _am _a real Dragon. The tatoo is on my shoulder. The long-sleeved shirt covers it up." I felt guilty, because I actually had been about to ask. "Since you asked me to come, I get to ask the first question. Why are you here?" Straight to the point. I could tell he didn't trust me. I didn't blame him. I could be a cop for all he knew. "I've got two reasons. One, your newspaper contact is my friend. I'm here to see if she can trust you as much as she does. As for the second, that's a more private matter. If I can trust you, I'll tell you." "And if you can't?" "Then we walk away and you don't let my friend contact you again."  
He smiled a little. "Or what?"  
"Not only can I bring the police down on your head, I can bring down _other guys_. Guys that you don't want to mess with. Guys that can make you wish you were in police custody."  
He looked around, to see if anyone was listening or watching then leaned forward. "You can't do that. Listen, this story _needs_to get out there. I know you don't trust me, but please, listen. The Purple Dragons have been under someone else's thumb lately. I don't know who, but someone is controlling the gang. The Boss has a Boss. He's had us doing stuff, weird stuff, stuff we don't normally do. Clearing warehouses, going after specific targets, paying good money to put other stuff in our tags. I've been getting as much info to M as I can, but I can only get out so much. I'm not good at piecing stuff together, but I've seen movies. People with brains for stuff like that can look at all the jobs we done and see the big picture, maybe they can see who's behind it all. _You can't let this die!_ I'm stuck in this, but maybe… maybe this is fate's way of letting me make it right."

He was either telling the truth, or a professional actor. I believed him.

"Now will you tell me the second reason?" I took a deep breath. And just like I'd rehearsed I said "My brother's been kidnapped. I think that the information vital to finding him is somewhere in the stuff you're bringing M." I didn't expect him to pat my hand and say "I'm sorry. What's his name? I can look for that info first if you like."

Immediately I pulled my hand back. There were still a lot of questions I had, but I could already see it: I was just making things worse by doing this. Macie had things under control. She's a big girl. She can take care of herself. As much as I wanted to get my own info, I couldn't jeopordize what this guy was doing. Don can get it. As soon as the ninjas are gone he'll be back in the lab working on finding Max. This guy doesn't need to worry about anything but bringing whatever's going on down. I did the only thing I could do.  
"No. I can't make contact with you again. Pretend I was never here. You can forget everything I said about cops or guys. I was bluffing. I'm sorry. And please, don't tell M any of what happened here." He nodded. "Okay. Thanks." And then got up and left.

I feel like crap. He probably took a bigger risk than I did by meeting me. I'm such a jerk! He's trying to make everything right and I go in there and threaten him with cops? What kind of decent person does that? I just can't think about this anymore right now. I have to go to work.

Dear Journal,

I talked to Macie today. She's got another meeting with her source tonight. I made her promise to take a taser and buy a can of mace. I trust him, but dark alleys are still dark alleys. She's a proffessional and an adult. If I'm allowed to take risks, so is she. And like he said, this story needs to get out. Be safe Macie

Later-

She came back safe.

Dear Journal,

It's laundry night. With the guys over there, laundry night has quickly become the highlight of my week. While I waited for my laundry, we watched TV. They're just as entertaining as the programing. Mikey wanted to watch Star Trek, but Raph and Leo vetoed the decision (personally I wouldn't have minded). So we watched Survivor. I'm not really a fan of reality TV, but it's kinda funny with four ninjas yelling instructions at the castaways.  
"No! You can't hold a machete like that! You'll cut your fingers off!"  
"Didn't you see that blonde chick hiding in the bushes! It's like she was holding up a sign that said 'eavesdropper'!"  
"Sheesh, she shoulda climbed a tree. Master Splinter's always told us, 'Humans rarely look up.'"  
"I can't believe that it's taking them so long to get a fire going! I've seen all of the minerals needed to make a combustable! And that was just in the first fifteen minutes!  
Personally, I think that the show would get a lot better if the castaways tried to vote the host off. But that's just me.

Forget toilet paper, or a radio, or my favorite CD's. If I'm ever trapped on a desert island I want ninjas.

* * *

R&R

Constructive critiscism always welcome. If you have questions, I'll message you back.


	13. Out In The Open

I _do_ know that october is months away, but I just had to do this idea.

I still do not own TMNT. The OC's are all mine though.

* * *

Dear Journal,

It's a week until Halloween and I just found out that the guys go trick-or-treating every year. I would have thought they were too old for that, but it's the only night of the year that they actually blend, so I guess that they wouldn't really 'grow out of' something like that. Since I'm not a turtle I'm going to need a costume. And I think I know what I want to go as. This October 31st there will be five turtles wandering the streets of New York!

That is if I can get April to help me with the shell…

Dear Journal,

Macie showed up at my door after work, and she was ticked. Turns out that her source mentioned meeting with someone else. She pressed the issue and figured out who I was. So as soon as I let her in she started a tirade about how she was a professional, an adult, she had the right to take risks, I had no business snooping, how I had put her source in _danger_, and how, once again, none of it was my business. Through this angry tirade I just nodded and started mixing up some coffee (leftovers from Donnie's stay). When she was through she just looked at me and asked "Aren't you going to say anything?" I handed her the mug and said "You're right. I'm sorry." She looked confused for a second "Come again?" "I was out of line. You've got this handled. But to tell you the truth, the only reason I felt the need to do anything is because you have a history of getting yourself into unecessary danger and after that, can you really blame me for wanting to look out for you?"  
She got this look on her face like she was sizing me up, the pre-secret face, as I like to call it.  
"Do you want to know why I trusted my source?" she asked. "You have to promise never to tell anyone. This is big Kate. You have to swear to keep this under wraps."  
She has no idea what I'm capable of keeping secret or who I'm capable of keeping it from.  
I promised.  
"I trust that Dragon because I already know him. He's family. My cousin."  
"You mean he's-" "Yeah. Lucas."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. It changed the situation quite a bit. Even the shock of meeting mutant turtles hadn't really prepared me for something like this.  
I never knew Lucas. He was gone before I met Macie, but she's told me what happened.  
Macie's aunt and uncle were killed in a car wreck when she was a baby. Lucas was four. Her parents were his only living relatives so they took him in. She's told me that they were more like brother and sister than random extended family. At least, until he hit high school. He started acting out, made friends with some of the wrong people, started getting into trouble at home, acting like he didn't want to be there. Then he started running with a really bad crowd. Everybody tried to stop him, but he wouldn't listen. He started getting into bigger stuff, got busted for shoplifting a few times. Then he ran away. Nobody's heard from him since.  
Well, until now. Macie was close to tears as she told me that he had contacted her. He'd come to his senses about a year ago. He realized that this was all a mistake. And he wanted to make it right.  
Then the dam broke. She cried on my couch for about twenty minutes. The whole time, the only thing she said was "I just want him back."  
I just want him back... just like I want Max back. I'd comiserate with her, tell her everything, if it weren't just my secrets I'm keeping.

Dear Journal,

I just finished my costume, and just in time. Halloween is tomorrow. April's the only one who's in on it. The guys are going to be so surprised! I found a yellow tank top and shorts for the—what did Don call it? Plastron. That's it.—and I've got a green long sleeved tee and leggings to wear underneath. I don't know where, but April found me green three fingered gloves. We decided to use a saucer sled for the shell. It took us almost all day to paint it. It's a good thing Halloween is on the weekend. And, of course, I have to wear a mask. The color? Well, what else for a turtle? Green! I can't wait to see the look on the guys faces!

Dear Journal,

I think I'm going to die of sugar poisoning… Halloween was so much fun! I met the guys at April's after work. (Yes, I had to work. Candy day isn't a national holiday.) When they answered the door I swear their jaws hit the floor. The only thing any of them could say was "You're a—a—a—turtle!" Of course, I just smiled and said "So are you." Leo was the first to recover. He said it was a great costume. Don commented that imitation was the sincerest form of flattery, and he felt flattered.

After they got over my cool duds we went out candy collecting. I felt just like a kid again! 'Our' 'costumes' were so good that we got enough candy to last till June! At least it _should _last until June. If Mikey doesn't get to it first.  
It was so cool to see them just walk the streets. After all the effort they go to hiding themselves away all year long, it feels like tonight is their reward: cut loose, and be themselves for all the world to see. This is what it would be like if the world accepted them. They could just walk around and wave to people, and nobody would even notice the shells. We even went into a store and grabbed a couple of water bottles half-way through because we were getting thirsty. And nobody noticed, they actually got praised for their 'really cool costumes'. I wish it could be like this all the time. They deserve that.  
After the trick-or-treating we went back to my place and watched the Charlie Brown Halloween Special. Turns out it's a tradition we all share. They fell asleep on my couch, chair, living-room floor, and bathroom rug (Mikey. He ate all of his candy during the show and couldn't keep it down). Poor guy. I think I'll share mine with him. One piece at a time of course.

Dear Journal,

Giant Western Civ test coming up. Donnie's helping me study, but mostly he's just good at helping me memorize. I've read that stupid textbook from cover to cover at least five times. I even dream in lines and margins. That's scaring me.

Dear Journal,

I joked to Donnie about the Western Civ dreams and he looked at me with a straight face and told me that sometimes he dreams in binary. That turtle scares me sometimes. Must go. Studying. Can't write complete sentences. Test in two days.

Dear Journal,

I had one of those crazy 'you missed your test' dreams last night. In it I was helping the guys fight a bunch of ninjas and suddenly this random ninja turned to me and said "You're late for your test." So for some reason I trust him and start running like hell to the school.  
It was so weird. The test was just randomly in a sewer tunnel. And when I got there the teacher said "You're late. You can't take the test." I have no idea why, but then I explained that I'd been fighting ninjas with the guys and she just looked at me and asked for a note from the ninjas. So I ran back to the alley where the guys were still fighting the ninjas and asked one of them for a note. Which for some bizarre reason he gave me. But it's a dream, it's supposed to be bizarre. So then I ran back to the test, which was at school now. Only Casey was the teacher! I gave him the note. And as soon as I sat down to take the test Casey jumped up and started fighting the other students, who were Purple Dragons! The bell rang (my alarm clock, actually), and I woke up, seriously weirded out. I am never letting Don cook for me again, and I am never eating the leftovers before I go to bed.

Dear Journal,

Passed the Civ test. Flying Colors! Now I must go and deliver pizzas! Not even Bob can ruin this day!

Later-

Never underestimate the power of Bob. Curse you 302 Lakeville Drive! (Shakes fist at sky)

Dear Journal,

Laundry day again. Raph and Leo were up on the roof, with Casey I'm told, beating each-other up under the guise of working out. Mikey was reading a comic book. April was doing the dishes, and Splinter was watching 'his stories'.

Don looked up from the computer and asked me what I want for my birthday, which is a week and a half away. But I never told him that. When I asked him how he knew he just shrugged and said "Internet." That got me really suspicious. I looked over his shoulder at his computer monitor and saw my Facebook page up. MY Facebook page, logged in as me. "Donnie! That's really creepy! Don't EVER do that again!" I told him as I shoved him out of the way and logged out. He just shrugged and said "Okay. So what do you want for your birthday?" That's when Mikey looked up from his comics and said "Whose birthday?" Don told him that mine was coming up. And now Mikey wants to get me a present too. While Mikey was trying to decide what he should get me Splinter got in on the conversation and wanted to know whose birthday was coming up. They told him, of course. So now I can count on everybody finding out. I wish they wouldn't make such a big fuss over it.

* * *

Please R&R.  
Mikey's been over here for three days. He's eating all my food and the plot bunnies are getting hungry.  
They want reviews!

Mikey: Hey! I don't eat _that_ much! And what about the soup I made last night!

Me: You used up all of the vegetables in the fridge!

Mikey: But the soup's still there. There's leftover soup.

Me: Plot bunnies don't like soup! They like carrots! Or reviews!  
So either save them some carrots, or write a review next time. And you _did_ eat all of my cheetos.

Mikey: Uhh. No I didn't.

Me: Mikey. You're green. I can see the cheeto dust on your fingers plain as day.

Mikey: Darn it.


	14. Traditions and Visitors

Do I own TMNT? Let me check *two seconds later* nope. Sorry folks. I do have some tea, M&M's and tees though. I also don't own Wheaties or Baskin Robbins

Sorry for the shortness of this chapter. I promise the next one will be longer. I just couldn't add more without it sounding weird. And the next update will be a LOT sooner than this one was (for those of you who get impatient). I hope I got Splinter's voice right...

A humongous thank you to my reviewers. THANK YOU! YOU GUYS ROCK! : )  
As always, constructive criticism is welcome via review or PM and if you ask and ye shall recieve (answers to questions that is. As long as they don't involve spoilers).

Now, on with the chapter!

* * *

Dear Journal,

Steph asked me what I was doing for my birthday. I'm not doing anything. I wish people would leave me alone about it. I don't really want to do anything. Can't we just forget about it and pretend that it's just another day? Who says that we have to celebrate _all_ of our birthdays anyways?

Dear Journal,

April called because she wanted to know what kind of cake I wanted and Mikey wants to know what to make me for 'the most awesomest birthday dinner ever'. I told them that I don't really want them to make a big deal out my birthday and do we really have to have cake? Then Don put it on speakerphone and everybody started talking at once about what I wanted for my birthday and what kind of plans I did I want to make?

I'm just tired of hearing about it. I told them that I don't want to do _anything_. I don't want cake. I don't want presents. I just want to be left _alone_. That sort of ended the phone conversation.

The only plans I have are to go to the storage locker where we put all of Max's stuff when his landlord evicted 'him', and find that box that was in his sock drawer, the one he talked about on the phone. Then I'll go to Baskin Robbins and get a scoop of pumpkin pie ice cream in a waffle cone. The same flavor I've had every year since I was ten. Unless a miracle happens in the next week I'll be eating it alone.

Dear Journal,

The guys showed up at my apartment. They wanted to know what's up with me. I'm fine. Really I am. Is it really that hard to conceive that someone _wants_ to be alone on their birthday? Twenty is kind of a year for reflection.

Yeah. Right. Who am I kidding? I just don't want to talk about this anymore. I have to go to work now. Those pizzas won't deliver themselves (that'd be something to see).

Dear Journal,

I may proceed with feeling like a total jerk for making my friends worry now.

Tonight there was a knock at my window. I ignored it for a second because I was in the middle of taking my frozen pizza out of the oven. I figured that if it was one of the guys they would just let themselves in. It's scary how I've come to view breaking and entering as a normal occurrence. Then the knock came again. 'Okaaaay' I thought 'what the shell is going on?' I grabbed a pan from the cupboard and headed stealthily towards the window, okay maybe not 'stealthily' but I'm not a ninja. I take what I can get. Imagine my surprise when I opened the window to find, not a turtle, but Master Splinter waiting outside on the fire escape. Of course, I invited him in out of the rain and the open. I was shocked to see him here. He doesn't usually go out in the open at _all_. Not even at night. My first thought was that something was wrong. I asked who was hurt and what was wrong. He just shook his head.  
"I apologize, Miss Pennington. There is no emergency. I am simply here for a visit. Perhaps I should have called ahead, I do not want to intrude." he said. He always calls me Miss Pennington no matter how many times I've told him that 'just Kate' is fine.  
I assured him that he wasn't intruding, and invited him to sit down and have some of the pizza that I'd just pulled out of the oven. Oven pizza is way too much for one person. I'd planned on eating some of the leftovers cold for breakfast tomorrow (Mikey calls cold pizza the 'breakfast of champions' don't let Wheaties get wind of it), but an unexpected guest just saved me from feeling like a fatty all day.

Well, I finally stopped stalling and asked,  
"So, what brings you all the way out here?" He hadn't touched his pizza, just sat there, watching me make any excuse not to talk.  
"My sons and Miss O'Neil are worried about you, as am I. There is something troubling you Miss Pennington. Why do you not wish to speak of it?" He's really good. It's just a theory, but I think he may be telepathic. (I'm not sharing _that_ one with Mikey. He's already tormenting Raph enough about the accent thing. Again, if you ever read this Raph, I'm sorry!)

I just sat there stunned for a second before I found the right words to answer.  
"This is _my_ problem. I can handle it on my own. I'll be fine in a week or so. Then everything can go back to normal." He just looked at me with those eyes that seem to see right through you.  
"Will it be 'normal'? Something tells me that you are running from your problems, just as you are running from your friends. Nothing will ever be 'normal' until you face what is troubling you." How did he see so much? Suddenly I found myself just confessing everything to him.  
"I didn't want anything to do with my birthday. The day just reminds me of all of the traditions that Max and I had- have. It just reminds me of who isn't here to celebrate with me. I never meant to make you all worry. I'm sorry."

Splinter nodded. He understood. I could see it, I just knew. It's strange, as much as he can sense from another person, he also has a way of letting you see him. You've got to know somebody like that to really get it.  
"None of us would ever ask you to disregard the traditions you hold dear. But just as there is room in your life for new friends, perhaps there can also be room for new traditions—traditions that blend the old and the new.  
It is time for me to go. My sons will be returning from their training run soon. You know where to find us. What happens next is up to you."

He never did eat his pizza.

Dear Journal,

Well, the birthday's back on. I just got off the phone with everybody. They're relieved to hear that I'm back to normal, or at least getting there. And even more relieved to hear that I'm finally acting sane about the whole birthday thing. What was I thinking? Birthday celebrations are just as much for the friends throwing them as they are for the people receiving them. I'm not going to cheat my friends out of an excuse to throw a party. Besides, I might just surprise myself and have a good time.  
Mikey's making that pasta with the pesto and April's making a cake. Leo asked what kind of ice cream I wanted and it was no contest: pumpkin pie.

Tomorrow we're all going down to the storage locker. It's going to be okay. I don't have to face any of this alone.

* * *

Please R&R.

Did anyone find her last name familiar? If you don't then do a little 'research'.  
It's my own personal tip of the hat to the first Ninja Turtles Movie.

Yes, there actually is a flavor of ice-cream at Baskin Robbins called pumpkin pie. It's a holiday flavor that they get in November. I've tried it. It's actually pretty good.

Once again, sorry for the shortness. I'll have a longer chapter up ASAP.


	15. Family

I'd like to take a moment to thank the owners of TMNT for letting websites like this exist and allowing us to borrow their characters and have fun writing with them. Thank you for not sending your lawyers after us. I really love not being saddled with a class-action lawsuit for this. : )

I'd also like to send out a biiiiiig thank you to all of my reviewers. I've just passed the one-hundred review mark. I never expected this story to grow this much, or for so many people to like it. So thank you.  
I'd also like to thank the academy... Wait, wrong speech. Sorry.  
On with the chapter!

* * *

Dear Journal,

My friends are the awesomest friends ever!

Macie, Steph, and Jesse surprised me today and took me out to lunch to one of those Mexican restaurants where they put the sombrero on your head and sing happy birthday in Spanish and everybody else in the restaurant stares at you. I blushed as red as Raph's mask, but I got a free dessert (and felt like a ten-year-old! Heehee!).

I got an even bigger surprise at work when I went to deliver the first order of the day. Raph popped up next to my car and said that he'd drive for me. Don drove on the next order. The two of them did that all night, switching back and forth so that I never once had to set my foot on the gas pedal to deliver those pizzas. It was really nice being along for the ride.  
Raph and Don have totally different personalities while driving. Raph tends to relax more, 'crank up the tunes', kick back, whatever. Don is more of a defensive driver. He likes to be aware of everything going on around him and focuses a lot more. I think that's because a lot of the time the vehicle he's driving is packing explosives as well, so he's looking for his 'target' on top of keeping his eyes on the road. A couple of times we got cut off and he'd mutter "We'll see about that" and turn on the windshield wipers, then looked around as if he was realizing where he was and would say something like "Oh. Wrong button" or "Right. No upgrades".

When we were done with work we headed over to April's for the party. There was Mikey's 'most awesomest birthday dinner ever', April's amazing chocolate cake, and a ton of other stuff. At my request we played 'pin the throwing star on the Foot ninja' again (On the roof. With a scoring system. It was awesome. Everybody agreed that the street-light was NOT my fault. Mikey surprised me as I was throwing!)

I think the funniest moment of the night was when Casey showed up, looking very uncomfortable in slacks and- was that _a polo!_ When everybody started laughing (nobody can picture Casey in anything besides track pants and athletic shirts) he just said "Ha ha. Very funny. Master Splinter said I had to be dressed up. So I'm here, and I'm dressed up."  
Master Splinter said "I said no such thing. *chuckle*" Casey looked confused and looked at Raph. "But when you invited me on the phone you said-" and then the light-bulb came on and Raph was out the window like a shot with Casey close behind.

It's really interesting how the presents that you get are as much a reflection of the giver as the receiver. April gave me a really cute bracelet. She's got good taste. Casey gave me a can of tennis balls. I guess somebody told him I play tennis (at least, I try. It's more of a hobby). Mikey gave me a classic samurai/ninja movie ('to begin my education' he said). Don is going to install a security system at my apartment. Raph is giving my car free tune-ups for a year (a practical gift, but _very_ much appreciated. With all the mileage I put on that old Honda I'm surprised it has lasted this long).  
After today I will never doubt Leo's sense of humor. He got me tea. The 'good' stuff.

That wasn't the real present though. After we were all done laughing at the joke-gift he gave me his real present. Turns out that he can draw. He drew a sketch of me, sitting on the couch with Don, Raph, and Mikey.  
Mikey's laughing uncontrollably about something. Raph looks annoyed (at Mikey, who else?). Don's looking off at something else like he's going over calculations in his head. And I'm just sitting on the arm of the couch smiling at the whole scene. I remember that moment. Mikey was laughing because he'd just told a really corny joke. Don didn't even notice. I can't believe Leo sketched all that from memory. Wow.

The moment we'd all been waiting for was Max's box. You could've heard a pin drop as I opened the lid. I still can't believe that he set aside a birthday present for me months ago. It looks like something he picked up on one of those business trips to Japan: a locket. It's round, silver, and has a Japanese characters for 'resilience' engraved on it. Donatello translated for me.

It reminds me of something that Max always used to say. That we were survivors, me and him. That we could take anything. I'd almost forgotten that. I know exactly what picture to put in that locket.

After the presents we did cake and ice cream and sat and watched TV. It was sort of nice to have something feel normal. Normal like a birthday party, normal like cake and ice-cream. Normal like hanging out with ninjas. It's nice to feel like part of a big happy family. Part of all of the circle, antics and all.

Mikey drew a bikini top on Raph's plastron when he was sleeping on the couch (and snoring like a chainsaw). I don't think I've ever heard him yell so loud. I promised that I would help him plot revenge. It's a strange sort of brotherly love those two have.

Oh, and Troy's been cheating on Maria with her half-sister Karla. *gasp!*

Dear Journal,

The guys and Casey were waiting for me at my place after I got off of work today. Apparently birthdays in their family are drawn out over several days. Today was the post-birthday celebration: starting the next year with a bang. And I mean a literal bang. They brought fireworks. We went out to this junkyard (not the one that Don salvages from, but some other one) and they brought out all kinds of fun explosives. Don even used some of his Chinese firecrackers that Leo gave him for _his_ birthday.

After I realized that we weren't going to set anything on fire or bring the police down on us, I just relaxed and enjoyed it. Maybe there _is_ a good side to Donnie's pyromania after all. So long as he keeps his explosives far away from my apartment and doesn't mix them in my bathroom, I'm happy.

Dear Journal,

Apparently Raph didn't need my help with the revenge. He lured Mike to April's roof last night and egged him. I wish I could have seen it, because I hear he followed it up with a bag of flour. It's just not as funny in pictures as it is in person, but pictures still are pretty funny!

Dear Journal,

Going to the movies with Jess, Steph, and Macie. There's this theater that shows classic films and it's playing Star Wars tonight. It's too good of an opportunity to miss. I can't help but think how much Mikey would love to see it.

Dear Journal,

Mikey was there! He snuck out of the apartment and then snuck into the movie! I saw him in the alley behind the theater where I'd parked (I was a little late, and there was no parking left), he was wearing his disguise, but I recognized it from that first time I delivered pizza to them. That and the fact that he was trying to climb the fire-escape. When he saw that it was me, he came out and we got into my car. He started talking about how awesome the movie was. I guess he'd been hanging out in one of the balcony like the phantom of the opera (there's no seating up there).  
He had about twenty messages when he turned his phone back on. Donnie tracked his cell and they put two and two together and figured out what had happened. So now Mikey's grounded to the end of time. Or at least the end of the week.

Dear Journal,

My car needs its oil changed. Time for Raph to make good on that birthday present.

Dear Journal,

I suppose it's a good thing I didn't take my car to a commercial garage, because Raph found a shuriken in the engine. So _that's_ what that weird rattling noise was. I thought that something was wrong with my car. It must be from when I was in the trunk, but I'm not going to ask because part of me just doesn't want to know.

Dear Journal,

Donnie came today to do some 'measurements' for the security system. I think his original design was a little overboard. Somehow I just don't see myself needing motion sensors.  
The atmospheric sensors (fancy word for smoke and carbon monoxide alarms), window alarms (with hidden biometric access locks on the outside), and even the entrance cameras will be a welcome upgrade from plain old locks.

Later-

I just got back from work and Donnie's still here. It doesn't look like he plans to go back to April's until this thing is installed. Guess I'd better go buy some more coffee.

Dear Journal,

I woke up and the security system was done. Don was asleep on my couch clutching a soldering-iron like a teddy bear. It's probably the cutest thing I've ever seen. He definitely earned himself those pancakes.

Dear Journal,

Laundry day again. There's definitely a different attitude in the apartment. Sort of a restlessness. I can't blame them. It's way too small a space for six people to be sharing.

There were numerous references to 'flushing out the sewers'. That can only mean heading down there to chase the Foot out of the sewers and away from the Lair.  
On the one hand, I don't want them to go looking for a fight- getting into trouble, getting hurt. On the other, the Lair is their home, and I know that they want to defend it. It's a matter of honor to them.

I think I'll offer to have the guys crash at my place this weekend (if I can convince Splinter to lift Mikey's grounding). It'll give April and Splinter a chance to breathe (and replace some china) and the guys a chance to get out. I think they're going kinda stir crazy. We could have a movie marathon or something.

Yeah….I should probably think up a better 'or something'.

* * *

Tune in next chapter for more fun and excitement on... The Weirdest Pizza Delivery Job Ever! *cough* *cough* man! I can't keep up that announcer voice for long.

Review for the plot bunnies. If not for me, then do it for the plot bunnies.  
*Plot bunnies look up with puppy dog eyes*  
Wow. I didn't know Mikey was teaching classes in that. Maybe I'll go sign up.


	16. Healing

This chapter took _forever_ to write, and then the internet kept cutting out yesterday when I finally finished (stupid *insert name of internet company*).

I don't own any turtles, teenage mutant ninja or otherwise.

As always, thank you to my reviewers.

* * *

Dear Journal,

I hate this! I hate this so much! Leonardo is out there, hurt, and I should be rushing to his side. I want so badly to be there for my friends. I want to be there like they've been there for me. I've tried to sleep. I'll need it for tomorrow, but the worry keeps me awake.

I couldn't believe it when I came home from work and turned on the news and saw April's store engulfed in flames. The report said that the footage was from over an hour earlier. It was like the floor fell out from under me. While my biggest problem had been trying to find the address of a pizza order, they'd been fighting a fire.

I pulled out my shell-cell and started dialing. I had to know that they were alright. But Mikey, Leo, Raph, they all went straight to voice-mail. I was starting to get really scared. Then, joy of joys! Donatello's phone was ringing! "Hello?" He sounded weary, worn, and worried.  
"Don! You picked up! Are you guys okay? I turned on the news and saw that there'd been a fire, then when I couldn't get Raph, Mike, or Leo… what happened? Is everyone okay? Why didn't you come over here?" there was a long pause. Long enough for me to get nervous.

"Kate, the Shredder's back. He came today, to the store. We barely made it out before… well you saw it on the news."

You know those movies where a person gets bad or really shocking news and drops the phone. It's not just acting. It happens in real life. You learn something new every day, right?  
The Shredder? Alive? They told me he was dead. They _saw_ the water tower fall on top of him. Nobody survives that. Well, apparently they do, but- the Shredder? Back? So many things to consider.  
When I came to my senses and picked up the phone I only had one question in my mind "But everyone's okay, right?" Another long pause. "Right?"

"Leo's hurt. It's pretty bad." He was real quiet and I knew that he was serious. I almost dropped the phone again.  
"Why aren't you guys here? I have a first-aid kit. You know I'd never turn you away. Darn it, you're practically family by now! Where are you? I'll be right over. What do you need?" I wasn't angry with him, or them, I was just frustrated with everything. I was, and am, worried out of my head. They still haven't told me how seriously Leo's hurt. I want them _here_. Where I could do _something_. I'm not a medic, I don't know much more than is in that book, but I can follow directions. I can make tea. I can do whatever they need me to do so long as I'm _there_. At least they have a good reason and a place to go. They don't want to risk leading The Shredder to me. And it's safer if they leave the city completely. Casey's got this farmhouse in the country. That's where they're going to rest and recover. That's where I'm going tomorrow.

There was a small argument about that. _I_ wanted him to just think up some long term excuses for Bob and my teachers, pack some bare essentials, and hop in the car right that minute. _They _didn't want me to. When Don started protesting Raph grabbed the phone away from him and started going saying how he'd seen under the hood of my car. There was no way it'd make it to the farm at night. The roads are barely navigable during the day. It's winter. My car doesn't have anti-lock brakes. The only reason it's safe for Casey is because he knows the drive.  
He finally let Don give me the address after I gave him my word to wait until morning to hit the road. He had me put my alarm system on 'high alert' mode. He's scared that if the Foot found them at April's, they might find me. I told him that it was highly unlikely. I'm still sleeping with my biggest skillet.

I keep thinking about Leo. How bad is he hurt? Do they have any medical supplies? I asked if they wanted me to pick anything up for them, but they said not to risk going out alone.

I've had the farm mapquested for hours. I've gone over the route several times in my head. I've even looked it up on Google earth. I have no idea how much sleep I'm actually going to get, but I intend to be on the road as soon as I can honestly say it's 'morning' so I'd better stop writing now and try to get some rest.

Dear Journal,

I'm in Northampton, on a rundown farm, sitting in an armchair watching Leo sleep.

Everybody else is getting some rest. They've been through hell. I finally got the whole story on what happened yesterday. Leo went out on his exercise run and was ambushed by the Foot and Shredder. He stumbled through the window of April's apartment only minutes before Foot started pouring in through the windows. There were these guys down in the shop that really gave them a rough time; they were super-ninjas or something with funny hats. And Hun was there too.  
What Lucas said makes sense now. The Boss has a Boss. Hun works for Shredder. The only reason I didn't see it before was because he was supposed to be, you know, DEAD!

Dear Journal,

Leo's awake. He started saying how I shouldn't have skipped school to come. I put a stop to that kind of talk right away.

Everybody's been really quiet, real serious. Even Mikey.  
Raph's been helping Casey fix the place up. April and I are cleaning the inside of the house from top to bottom. Mikey's gone nuts with figuring out ways to make canned food taste delicious. And Don and Splinter are looking after Leo twenty-four seven. The rest of us think of any excuse we can to check on him. We're such a bunch of mother hens with all our hovering. Even Casey does it. We need a real distraction soon or else we're all going to get depressed. Either that or Don's going to get fed up with us and kick us out.

I think I'm going to go ask Leo if he wants any tea…

Dear Journal,

I broke the ice. Somebody had to. Mikey and I were going out to find Raph and Casey to tell them that lunch was ready. We saw Raph up by the barn and I was about to yell to him when Mikey let out this big sad sigh. It was so un-Mikey-like that it just snapped something in me. I reached down and made a snowball. "I wonder how Raph would react if I threw this at him?" I said.

All I got was "Meh, he'd probably get mad or somethin'. It's Raph." Good grief! Still nothing!

"He'd probably blame it on you."

"Yeah. Probably." He sounded so far away. So I just grinned wickedly and pulled my arm back.

That got his attention. His eyes got as wide as dinner plates and he leapt behind me as I let the missile fly.

It hit Raph right on the back of his shell. He whirled around, eyes blazing. "Mikey!" he yelled. Mikey just pointed at me. "She did it! It was Kate!" The second snowball hit him in the face. He knew who the culprit was this time. A snowball came flying back at me and I stepped out of the way. It hit Mikey, who'd been looking at me and telling me that I was dead meat. Thus began the war. Soon it was every man for themself with the snow flying thick.  
Casey came out of the barn and gladly joined in, turning into a real fray. Don came out of the house to see what was taking us so long and got beaned in the face by a stray snowball. That's how he entered the battle.  
April and Master Splinter came outside to watch from the porch. (April even lobbed a couple of shots of her own)

As it was starting to wind down I noticed Leo watching from the upstairs window. I grabbed a snowball and ducked inside. He was surprised to see me. Even more surprised when I handed him the already-dripping snowball and opened the window. I don't think I'll ever forget the smile on his face when he took that snowball. Or the look on Mikey's when he got hit with the 'aerial assault'. We had to shut the window real fast to avoid the return-fire. The snowball fight was winding down, so I decided to stay up there and watch the rest of it with him. It's kind of funny when you can't hear what they're saying. Like a silent movie.

It feels like everyone woke up. It feels like everybody's let out the breath that they've been holding. It feels good.

Dear Journal,

Raph's having bad dreams. I don't think he wants anyone else to know, but last night I had my own dream again, so I got up and went down to the kitchen to get a glass of water. I got to the kitchen and decided on tea instead. Then I noticed that there was a half-full can of grape soda out on the counter. Raph's the only one who drinks that stuff. Casey and I bought a whole case of it yesterday when we went to town to buy groceries. I picked up the can to throw it away, and noticed that there was still condensation on it. That's when it hit me, he was hiding. "Raph. I know you're there. Come out." I said.

I have no idea how he held onto the ceiling. The Mikey voice in the back of my head made a lame Spider-man joke and I handed Raph his soda. "Caffeine'll keep you up." I said as I put water in the microwave. He saw me getting out the tea and raised an eyebrow, or where his eyebrow would be. "Shut up." I grumbled. I didn't want to be up. I just didn't want to be asleep either. The humming of the microwave made the awkward silence even weirder. I stopped it at about two seconds because I didn't want the beeping to wake anybody up.

"So, you have that nightmare again?" Raph asked, finishing off his soda.

"Uh, yeah. You?" I have no idea why it was an awkward conversation. Maybe because it was two in the morning.

"Couldn't sleep." There was another long pause as I put the tea-bag into the cup. We both watched it steep in the semi-light of the kitchen for a couple of minutes. I asked if he wanted any tea just to break the silence.

"Nah." he said. "Never really liked the stuff." Then he crushed the soda can and threw it into the trashcan. Then he just sat there tapping his fingers on the table, staring at me expectantly. I didn't know what I was supposed to do or say, just that he was expecting something.

"So why're you up this early….late….whatever." I asked.

He got up and looked out the window. Then he came and sat back down. Then he got up and stood by the window again. "Is something wrong Raph?"

"Wrong? Wrong? Hell yeah something's wrong! Everything's wrong!" He started pacing. He looked like he was in a cage, trying to get out, pacing back and forth across the kitchen floor. "We just got 'evicted' _again_! My brother's in critical up there! The Shredder's back! Damn right somethin's 'wrong'!" He collapsed onto a chair. "I mean, it's not good enough to kick us outa the sewers, but he's gotta go and do _that_ to Leo! And… and… and… I shoulda seen it comin'. Leo trains hardcore, but he's never gone _that_ long and with that storm... I shoulda known that somethin' was up. I shoulda gone out after him. He's my _brother_! I shoulda been there!" He finished his rant by slamming his hand down on the table. My mug of tea tipped over, spilling the contents. We both got up at the same time to get some paper towels to clean up the mess. As we wiped up the still-steaming liquid I got the sudden urge to say something.

"He's your big bro. He takes care of you. And now you feel that if you'd returned the favor, he wouldn't be in this mess."

He looked up, confused. "Yeah. How'd you know that?" I told him that I know the feeling. He just said "Huh? I suppose you do."

Yeah. I suppose I do.

After that he broke out the sugar cereal. We each had about two bowls of choco-puffs before heading back upstairs. Nothing banishes the bad dreams like good company and bad-for-you breakfast cereal. Should I 'know the feeling'? During that entire exchange I wanted to convince him that he shouldn't feel guilty, that it's not his fault. Should I be telling myself that too? I've always said that I should have done more to prevent what happened to Max, but is there anything I could have done? Would he have wanted me to do anything? The only thing sadder in this world than a optimist who's wrong is a pessimist who's right. Can anybody fault me or Raph for being the optimist? I don't think our brothers would want us to be the pessimist.

Dear Journal,

Leo's up and about. Things are getting better by the day. I really like it out here. Mikey's already talking about coming back this summer and going camping out in the woods. That'd be fun. I've never really been camping before. Even though we're not camping, Mikey's camping idea did give him another good idea, which is why we're going to make s'mores in the fireplace tonight. It's going to be so much fun.

Don's complaining how Leo's his worst patient. He keeps trying to do his kata and Don keeps stopping him and threatening him with further bodily injury if he doesn't take it easy. It's my opinion that the reason he was finally let out of bed today was that Don couldn't keep him there any longer.

Gotta go, I promised Mikey I'd go sledding with him before it gets dark.

* * *

Well, Shredder has struck back. Duh duh duuuuhhhhh...

R&R.


	17. Before the Storm

I own no turtles, teenagers, mutants, ninjas.

Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far. You guys are awesome!

* * *

Dear Journal,

How can Mikey be such an amazing cook, and yet eat all that junk? This morning I helped him make blueberry pancakes that were so fluffy you could use them for a pillow, and two hours later he was raiding the pantry for potato chips and twizzlers. I don't know how he does it. He's got to have a cast-iron stomach or something.

Leo's getting better by the day. If only he'd stop moping. He's been cleared by Dr. Don to go outside and now he spends most of his time brooding out in the barn. I wish that somebody would go out there and tell him that he didn't fail us. But seeing as I wasn't actually there and I'm not one of his teammates/brothers, I'm not exactly the right person to talk to him.

Dear Journal,

I don't know what it is about this place, but I can't sleep through the night. And it seems like no one else can either. When I got up and went down to the kitchen this time, Mikey was down there chowing down on choco-puffs. Why is it that nobody ever eats that cereal during the day? Oh well. When he saw me he immediately pulled over a chair and poured another bowl.

"So, what keeps you up on this fine evening?" he asked.

"Meh, nightmares again. They've kinda been coming back since the…. you know." Since you guys got attacked and Leo almost died. Since April's shop and home got blown up. Since the guy that we all thought was dead came back and tried to kill you. Yeah. That.

He poured in more choco-puffs. Fight fire with sugar. I like the way he thinks. I asked him what was keeping him up. He was hungry. We sat there and ate in silence for a few minutes. He looked thoughtful and I wondered what was on his mind.

He never did tell me why he was really up, we just talked about random stuff. Mostly comics and TV and what he's going to do once they get back to the Lair. But he seemed a lot more relaxed when he went back to bed. I hope that he's okay. Sometimes you just need someone to sit with you. Maybe that was the case.

Dear Journal,

We had s'mores again tonight. It was fun. But in a more… exciting sort of way. Donnie set the smoke alarm off when he caught that marshmallow on fire. I think he did it on purpose; the marshmallow, not the smoke alarm. Mikey wanted me to take him sledding again tomorrow, but Casey said no. Apparently there are neighbors around. We're lucky we didn't get caught the other day. Oh well, we can always build a snowman. Or snow-turtle.

Dear Journal,

I thought that maybe Leo was done moping. Nope. He was acting sort of normal until he tried to make toast this morning and broke the toaster (it's this weird thing about Leo. He's like the grim reaper of toasters.) Well that spooked him and he's out in the barn again. Even though Donnie assured him that the toaster isn't dead, just in a coma and it can be fixed. But no. He blamed himself for our not having toast this morning. At least, that was his excuse. *Sigh* When are you coming back Leo? Your family misses the real you.

Later-

Okay, Mikey decided to go on a walk this morning in the woods. The woods that Casey told us to stay away from (well, not me, them. Actually me too. I'd get lost) and within two hours we had a TV Monster Hunter on the front lawn looking for the 'green man of the woods'. Casey tried to deflect them. That went well "There ain't nothin' in those woods but… woods!" Oh yeah she bought that. Then April and I had to come out to give an actual alibi. I claimed to have seen a bear yesterday. (Well, the boys eat enough for one, and Raph snores like one) I pretended to be a fan, because I thought that it would help my skepticism seem real. So now I have an autograph from a crazed lunatic. Mikey and Don are out there right now trying to do something about said crazed lunatic.

Even Later-

That woman is a psycho! Her crazy Monster Van almost turned Mikey and Donnie into popsicles! What kind of lunatic thinks that liquid nitrogen is a good way to catch anything? (I know, obviously her, duh) Poor Mikey and Donnie. They almost got flash frozen, then they had to hike home through the 'winter wonderland'. It took us almost three hours just to thaw them out. Now they're off with Casey to put an end to her hunt for the 'green man of the woods' by giving her a taste of her own medicine. The hunter's about to become the hunted- ninja style. If they air that episode I am so going to tape it.

Dear Journal,

Well, I don't think we'll be getting to see that episode. That crazy Monster Hunter's days on TV are over. I am going to tape some of the news coverage of Casey in the back of that Monster Hunter Van though. He looks ridiculous in that 'green man' costume. Ha Ha.

It turns out there actually is a 'green man'. And Mikey and Donnie and Casey just saved it from that wacko. It would make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, if I didn't remember that without Mikey taking a walk in those woods it wouldn't have been in danger in the first place. At least all this has led to a crazed lunatic being taken off of the streets- erm, air. Whatever.

Dear Journal,

We're going home. It was decided today. Leo's better (enough), he made himself some new katanas, and he's ready. They're all ready. We're all ready. We're going to go back and take back the sewers and then we (and by 'we' I mean 'the ninjas') are going to stop the Shredder once and for all. And hopefully find Max.

I can't say I'm not a little scared, but they want to do this. They have to do this. He _needs_ to be stopped.

Dear Journal,

We're working on packing up. There is both a celebratory and serious tone in the air. We're all so happy that we're finally going home, that we're finally going to take back the sewers. But knowing the battle that is to come is definitely on everyone's minds.

We're taking most of the food with us, just leaving some of the non-perishables here for when we come next time. I'm bringing the choco-puffs with me. Something tells me that we're going to need them again before this is over.

* * *

Can you feel the tension people? Cue dramatic climax music!

Please R&R!

Mikey: Hey there kids. I just thought I should let you know that it's never a good idea to mislead crazed monster hunters. Especially if you're using yourself as bait. Even if you have a genius brother. TV people don't like it. They might sue you. Or your parents depending on whether or not you're a miner. Although I have no idea what mining has to do with lawsuits. Or they could put you in a zoo... actually probably not a zoo. Unless you're what they were hunting in the first place.

Me: Mikey! Cut that out!

Mikey: Why? Donnie got to do a PSA!

Me: About concussions! That's totally different! People actually need to know that stuff! And it's minor not miner! And when do you think anybody is going to run into a crazed tv monster hunter?

Mikey:...

Me: That's what I thought. Now stop hijacking my authors notes!

Mikey: Sorry. Tune in next time for another exiting chapter of The Weirdest Pizza Delivery Job Ever!

Me: Mikey...

Mikey: Eeep!


	18. Off To Battle And Brothers

First off, I'd like to apologize for how long this update took. Regrettably, I was cursed a year ago and now I get migraines at the most inopportune times. They prevent me from driving, standing up quickly without getting dizzy, and posting chapters regularly.  
Luckily, I've been planning this chapter for weeks now, or it might have taken longer. (Impossible sounding I know, but true.)  
I watched 'Return to New York' Part One at least five times in the last two weeks to write this chapter. Research, you gotta love it.  
A warning for sensitive readers, though, there's an attempt at bathroom humor in this chapter.

Now, I won't keep you waiting any longer, here is the chapter that you've been waiting for. Thank you for being patient.

* * *

Dear Journal,

The trip home has been fairly uneventful, except for that close call at the rest stop. It's a good thing I was able to convince that guy he was actually in the ladies room before he figured out that the bathroom was occupied by a mutant turtle. Good for Raph at least. For me, the whole thing was just awkward. Casey and April were supposed to stop any people who came into the parking lot. I thought that's what the caution tape was for. It was a very good plan, if it had been executed properly. Next time the guys can just pee in the woods.  
Hey! Why didn't we think of that in the first place!

Now we're at a food/gas stop. My gas budget for the month is going to be shot to shell after this trip, but I don't mind. Considering the alternative.

Huh. I just noticed that I've started picking up some of the guys' speech patterns. The most obvious is the use of the word 'shell' as an expletive. I wonder how that started, for them I mean. They probably noticed that it sounds an awful lot like the word 'hell' and it just snowballed from there. Except they use it by itself too. Like 'oh shell'. It's interesting that they would use that word as a swear, and yet, it's still in everyday use in its regular form as well. Weird.

Casey's back with the food. Time to hit the road. We're going home!

Dear Journal,

We're doing it. We're actually going to take the fight to the Shredder. April's working on hacking her way into the Foot mainframe. The guys are training- warming up. Don's already packed his bag of tech gear. April says that once she's in it should be a cinch to find Max as well. And it shouldn't be that hard for the guys and Master Splinter to make a little detour to rescue him- if he's being held in the main Tower that is. If he is then they'll give him a headset and April and I can guide him out while they continue on to fight Shredder. And I'll go pick him up at the bottom tunnels in the Sewer Slider. That's the plan at least. My heart is pounding. This could actually happen. By tomorrow I could actually have my brother back. I almost don't want to hope. I don't want to be disappointed. But hope is just about all I have to go on.

They're sacrificing the BattleShell. It's going to be their decoy while they sneak in the sewers. Poor BattleShell. Raph promised he'd teach me to drive it- that means teaching me to operate the weapons systems, which would be really cool. Of course, it's pretty much a guarantee that BattleShell 2.0 will be even cooler. He's like Midas. Everything he touches turns to tech-gold. And I'm not telling Max that I said that. He's going to be jealous enough as is.

Well, they're almost done with their practicing. That means that it's almost time for the final run-through of the plan. After that they'll leave. And April and Casey and I will be left here to wait. I wish that I was super-smart like April or Max. Then I could help them from here. Heck, I'd even settle for being a fighter like Casey, then I'd have an excuse to be left here. He's supposed to be protecting us, just in case. I wish that I could contribute something. The best I can do is getaway driver. And they're destroying their main getaway vehicle. I hate feeling useless.

Dear Journal,

They've just left. It was an eerie send-off. The gravity of the mission was way too evident. As was the possible outcome.  
Master Splinter thanked April and Casey and even me for all of the help we'd given to his family. Raph told Casey that he'd 'bash some heads' for him, and threatened to kick his ass if anything happened to me or April. I appreciate the sentiment. It was sweet of him, in a Raph-ish sort of way. Donnie gave April the admin codes to all of his computers and security systems. He said it was 'just in case'. I guess he's never given anyone the admin codes before because April made a big deal about it. And Mikey came up to me and said "Kate. There's something I've always wanted to tell you." He looked very serious. It was starting to creep me out. I didn't know that Mikey could be serious for that long without the world coming to a stop or something.  
"Shoot." I said.  
"Leo didn't break your blender. I did." I already knew that and I told him. Then I gave him a hug and told him to be careful and come back safe. Or else.  
Leo was all serious. He handed me a note and asked me not to read it until after everyone was gone. It was a will. I can't believe it. He's sixteen years old and has already made a will. And the eerie part is that he has a good reason to.

A Little Later-

I'm writing to stay sane until April lets me on the com. (When they get to Max). Oh, speaking of, she knows where he is! She found him! He's now a little red blip on the computer screen in front of her. I can barely stop staring at it. We're coming for you Max! Hang on.

Dear Journal,

I finally figured out how to print the transcript of my shell-cell call. I'm inserting it in here because I want to save it. I don't ever want to forget what happened last night when April finally gave me a headset. They usually don't record the shell-cells, but with everything going on last night, April put them on the emergency settings, which recorded the conversations in addition to the constant tracking. Well, this is the transcript.

Kate: Hello?

Leo: Hi Kate. Your Brother wants to talk to you. (a bit of shuffling as Max puts on a headset)

Max: Kate? Is that you? What's going on?

Kate: Max?

Max: Who are these guys? How are you involved with them?

Kate: Max?

Max: Who are these… people? Did you totally disregard my request not to do anything stupid?

Kate: Max. would you shut up for a second!

Max: Sorry. It's good to hear your voice Katie, but what the heck is going on?

Kate: You have no idea how good it is to hear you too, and I'll explain everything. Right now, just know that these guys are friends. They're gonna help get you out. Listen to them and do what they say.

Max: Okaaaay. You know I'm going to want a better explanation eventually.

Kate: And you'll get one. I promise.

(Crackling as Don comes on the line.)

Don: I hate to break up the reunion here, but we've got to move.

Kate: Gottcha Donnie. Max, that means silence for a while for the sake of stealth, but I'm not going anywhere. I trust these guys with my life Max. They're cool.

Max: (somewhat hesitantly) Okay.

Don: Come on Mr. Pennington, we'll get you out of here.

Max: Mr. Pennington was my father. I'm Max.

Don: Right. Well, follow my brother over there, the one with the orange mask. I'll be right behind you, watching your back. And stay quiet.

(silence for several minutes)

Don: (In a whisper) April, where's Max's exit?

April: There should be a vent at the end of the hall.

Don: I see it. Max, we're going to let Kate and April guide you out from here. We've got other business to take care of, but you're in good hands. It was nice meeting you.

Max: Thanks for well, breaking me out I guess.

Don: It's what we do. (quiet clang of vent cover being slid back into place)

Max: Kate? Are you still there?

Kate: I'm here Max.

(crackle of Don switching to separate line)

Max: So, who's April, and how's she getting me out of here?

Kate: She's a friend. She's also a bit of computer whiz. She hacked into the mainframe and now I have before me the route to guide you out of there through the ventilation system.

Max: What about security?

Kate: April's taken care of it.

Max: I see. I'd like to meet this April. She sounds-

April: You know I can hear you right?

Max: I was going to say that you sound like an interesting person. If you can get through Baxter Stockman's systems you must really be some computer whiz.

April: It wasn't that hard. I used to work for the guy after all. After the three dictionary attack programs all that we had to do was create a dummy account and install a remote access Trojan.

Max: We?

April: Me and Don. (impatient sigh) You know, the turtle-guy with the purple mask? It's actually because of his secure systems that I was able to hack the network.

Max: Fascinating. I'd love to compare notes with the both of you sometime.

Kate: Yes yes, we're all very interested in scientific mumbo jumbo. Now let's get you out of there Max and you can drool over Don's computers in person.

Max & April: Right sorry.

(Five minutes of directions. I've edited that part out because Don's printer is almost out of ink. I need to go to the store and get him a new cartridge, a bicycle chain, Pepto-Bismol, printer paper, and some test tubes. I don't ask why anymore. It's just easier.)

Kate: Okay, I'm going to be going off of a printout now, because it's about time for me to leave.

Max: Leave? For what?

Kate: Pickup. You didn't think you could just hail a cab back to here did you?

Max: I thought I'd be going to the police station.

Kate: And tell them what exactly? What about what happened are they going to believe? And besides that we have secrets of our own to keep.

Max: We? What kind of secrets do you have that you can't tell to the police? Are you involved in something illegal Kate? Oh my gosh. You really have done something stupid haven't you?

Kate: Max! Keep it down! Do you want the ninjas to hear you! Let me explain.

Max: You'd better.

Kate: You saw my friends. They can't let the world at large know about them. Do you know what the scientific community alone would want to do to them if they found out that they _exist_?

Max: I suppose. So these secrets, they're to keep them safe?

Kate: Yeah. They're ninjas. They're all about secrecy and shadows and stuff.

Max: There's a fork here, which way? So, how's it been, keeping a secret like this?

Kate: Take the left, then go down a level. It's been tough sometimes. Like when I had to make up excuses to be out of school and work so that I could go with them to Northampton after Leo got hurt. But it's worth it. They're really good guys and they've taken care of me through all of this just as much as I've helped them. Probably more.

Max: Leo? What's in Northampton? Man I've got a lot of catching up to do.

(roar of the Sewer Slider starting up)

Max: What was that?

Kate: Just the Sewer Slider. I told you. I'm coming to pick you up. It's not much of a pick-up if I'm walking.

Max: Sewer Slider? Does that mean… you're guiding me down to the sewers aren't you? Gross! Kate!

Kate: What? Do you expect to walk out the front door?

Max: (sigh) No. I suppose not. But why the sewers? And Sewer Slider? What kind of vehicle _is_ that?

Kate: Ummmm…. It's a hover car.

Max:…. You're joking right?

Kate: Bro, I couldn't _make_ this stuff up. Donatello's a serious genius. I can tell that you two are going to be having some hard-core nerd-a-thons once we get you out of there.

Max: (grumbling) This had better be one hell of an explanation when all of this is over.

Kate: Oh, it will be!

Max: Not helping, bookworm.

That's pretty much all of the interesting parts. The rest is just me giving him directions to the sewers, where I was waiting with the Sewer Slider.

We practically hug attacked each other when he came down that ladder. Gosh he's so thin. And he's got these dark circles under his eyes like he hasn't been sleeping. And he could use a haircut. I told him that and he laughed, long and hard, like it was the funniest thing in the world even though it wasn't that funny. I got him into the Sewer Slider (once he stopped drooling over it and asking me how it works. I don't know bro. I just drive the thing) and we headed back to the Lair. He's going to have to wait on that explanation because he's still asleep.

He fell asleep in the Sewer Slider, then Casey and I moved him to the bed in the Lab, then when the guys got back we moved him to Mikey's room. He woke up a little every time we moved him, but fell back asleep again as soon as he hit pillow. Don suspects that he hasn't had any sleep in a couple of days. Part of some sort of effort to get him to 'cooperate' or something. I sat up with him for a while before going out to sit up with the guys. As hard as it is to believe, they needed me more than my sleeping brother. Because Master Splinter is missing.

I really wish that Master Splinter were here so that this victory could really be a victory. It's like a slap in the face. I get my brother back and my best friends, the friends who got me my brother back, have their father go missing. And he's not just 'their father'. He's Master Splinter. He's the wisest, most patient, kindest person I've ever met. We have to find him. We WILL find him. We found Max didn't we? If anyone can do it, we can. Last night proved it.  
Hang on Master Splinter, we're coming.

* * *

This is the longest chapter I've written so far, with good reason.  
It's also one of the most important, probably right up there with the chapter where she meets the turtles in the first place.

What did you think of Max's rescue?  
Please R&R. Do it for the plot bunnies.

The next chapter is in the works as we speak, erm write, erm read. I'm working on the next chapter!


	19. Explanations

I will now pull another chapter out of my hat! Ta Da! Oops, that's a plot bunny. Ta Da! Oops. That's another plot bunny. Ta Da! Oops. Ta Da! Whew! Finally! Here's your chapter. I had so many plot bunnies clamoring at once for what to do with this one that it took a while to sort through them all.

I am going back to school tomorrow, so chapters might start coming farther apart. I will try to update once a week bare minimum, but academics do come first. At least that's what they tell me. : )

* * *

Dear Journal,

Max's explanation didn't go anything like I had planned.  
I woke up this morning to Donatello shaking my arm. After a few minutes of "Wha…?" I looked at the clock. Seven AM. "It's too early…" Normally, that's not too early, but when you've stayed up until two getting all the details of the Shredder's timely demise and the fall of the Foot, five hours is not enough sleep. I tried to shove him away. He finally said "I need you to help me with your brother." That got me awake in point two seconds flat. Don led me out to the kitchen where a very confused and bewildered looking Max was sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee. He looked very relieved to see me.  
Turns out Max had a bad dream (shocker. have I ever mentioned how much I hate Shredder?) and couldn't get back to sleep. So he got up for some coffee. And due to Don's weird sleep patterns, the events of last night, and his minor caffeine addiction, he was up as well. In the kitchen. Making coffee.  
Yeeeeeaaaaah. It's a good thing that Max is a 'deer in the headlights' kind of guy, or else he would've woken up the whole house with a yell or something.  
I think I said something like "Oh boy." and told Don that he should probably go get his brothers. It was time to give Max that explanation he so craved.

While we waited for Don to get the others Max asked me a few very valid questions.  
"What's going on?"  
"A lot. You'll find out in a few minutes." It takes a while to explain.  
"Okaaaay. Where are we?"  
"In my friends' home. Somewhere safe. Very safe." You have no idea how safe. You'll probably be drooling over the security systems before the day is out.  
"I take it he is one of you your…. friends?"  
"Yes. One of them. He has three other brothers. And there's his father, but… his father's missing right now."  
"And do they all look like him?"  
"You met them. They rescued you from that cell remember?"  
"Wait, that wasn't a dream? The turtle guys and the rat-person weren't just a sleep deprived hallucination?"  
I snickered in spite of myself "Obviously. That was Donatello. The inventor of the hovercar you were drooling over."  
His eyes lit up. "That wasn't a dream either?" Yes, my brother's a nerd. But he's my nerd and I love him anyways.  
"No none of it was a dream. You're about to meet his brothers. Please try to be cool. They're good friends of mine, and they saved both our butts. We kinda owe them big time."  
Yeah, he was still trying to soak in the fact that the hovercar was real. Forget the mutant turtles, the flying car is the real marvel here. That tells you what track my brother's mind is on. "Oh, okay." he said distractedly.

It was about then that the guys came shuffling into view. Mikey and Raph looked like they wished they were back in bed. Leo, of course, was already alert and focused (but is that a surprise to anyone?). Don still looked like he could use his coffee.  
In spite of my admonition to 'be cool', the first word out of Max's mouth was "Holy—!" I elbowed him in the side and didn't let him finish.  
"Yeah. We're turtles. So what?" Raph looked annoyed. But that was just his morning face. Actually he manages to look annoyed through most of the day. Go figure. I shot them both my best 'Be Good' glare and began the introductions.  
"Max, these are my good friends, the guys who saved you from Oroku Saki last night. This is Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo. Guys, this is my brother Max."  
There was a round of greetings "Hi" "S'up" "Nice to meet you." "Welcome to our home." etc.  
They all sat down at the table. Well, Don got his coffee and Leo started some tea first, but within a few minutes they were all siting down at the table with Max and me.

"I imagine you have quite a few questions." Leo said to Max. "I think I can answer most of them with a story…" He proceeded to tell the story of how they came to be. He told it really well. I think I'll copy it down here.  
_We were not always as you see us now. Once we, and our father, Master Splinter –Mikey, could you go get the family picture off of the TV?- were what you would call… normal. But it only takes seconds for things to change forever. –Thanks Mike (he showed the picture to Max)- One day, our father, by pure chance, witnessed an accident. An old blind man was crossing the street when he was almost run over by a large truck. The truck swerved to avoid the man, and the man was pushed out of the way by a teenager, saving his life. But in his haste to save the man, the teenager caused a smaller boy to drop what he had been carrying: a jar containing four baby turtles. The jar broke and the turtles were washed down a storm drain and into the sewers. Unseen by all, a metal canister had bounced off of the swerving truck and now it rolled into those same sewers and broke open, covering the infant turtles, us, with glowing green ooze. It was there that we were found by a rat who, for reasons that we do not know but will be forever grateful, took pity upon us and gathered us up in a coffee can, covering himself in the ooze as well. He took us back to his burrow. The next morning we awoke and found that we had doubled in size. The ooze had affected our growth. It had changed the rat who had found us as well. He was larger, more intelligent. He adopted us as his sons, and raised us as his own, protecting us. He gave us our names from a book on renaissance art that he fished out of a storm drain. We lived down here in the sewers because the world above would not understand who and what we are. They would fear us.  
Because the world is such a dangerous place for us, he began to teach us the art of ninjutsu. Master Splinter became not only our father, but the best Sensei we could ask for. He has taught us to fight, and to live with honor._

I couldn't help myself, they all looked so sad. I got up and helped myself to a round of hugs, saying "We'll find him. I know we will." I didn't hug Raph though. Not because I don't like him, but because he said "Hug me and die." I like living. However, I think I've just made a vow to commit suicide, because I've just promised myself that someday, somehow, I will hug Raph.

Then I told the story of how I met them. The one where I got kidnapped and thrown into the trunk of my car, concussed, and puked on Raph's foot, yeah, that one. Mikey started cooking breakfast somewhere in the middle of the story, I don't know where. He moved so quietly. Ninjas.  
When the smell of breakfast reached the rooms where they were sleeping Casey and April made their way to the kitchen as well and we had more stories to tell. It made for a pretty fun morning. Sort of. I had to break it to Max that he'd been evicted. That wasn't fun. But Casey and April took Max to the storage unit while I was at class (Class. Also not fun after being gone for weeks.) and brought some of his stuff back to my apartment so that he could start moving in. I brought back a pizza for him. Oh how I slaved for that pizza. Bob's really upset that I had a legitimate reason to miss that much work, so he's working me extra hard to make up for it. But he didn't want to stay home and eat it. He'd just gotten a call from Don and he wanted to take it down to the Lair and go over new BattleShell plans.

Everything I've gone through these past few months, all the nightmares, all the worrying, the kidnapping, was made worth it when I saw my bro standing shoulder to shoulder with Donatello going over plans for the new BattleShell. And then when I thought it couldn't get any better, I came over to deliver a couple of slices of pizza (geniuses have to eat too, and delivering pizza is my job) and Max put his plate down and just hugged me for about a minute. Man that felt good. There have been days when I thought that I wasn't ever going to be able to hug my big brother again. When he finally let go his eyes flicked to the locket. I've worn it ever since I opened it. He smiled and said what I knew he'd say. "It says 'resilience'. I picked it because we're survivors."  
I smiled and said "Yup. We're survivors alright. It's good to have you back Max." He just gave me another hug and said "It's good to _be_ back."

* * *

What did you think of Leo's version of the ooze story? Do you think that Kate will ever succeed on her mission to hug Raph? And what do you think of how Max is fitting in so far?  
R&R! It doesn't just mean 'Rest and Relaxation' : )


	20. Searching for Splinter

I know I promised you an update every week, and here it is a week late. I am sorry. It sort of took a while to get into the swing of things at college.  
And... I've learned my lesson about making promises I don't know if I can keep. I'll try to update once a week, but I really don't know what's going to happen. School comes first (I really hate saying that)

Thank you all for being patient.  
P.S. I don't own the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. 'Cause that would be slavery.

* * *

Dear Journal,

It's been three days. The search is taking its toll on all of us. And it hasn't even really started yet. Every night they've left Max and April working on the BattleShell while I'm at work and they go search out any areas where he could possibly be- any areas they've ever fought the Foot before. They search long past the time when I get off of work and pick up Max. Then they finish up at my place in the wild hope that maybe, just maybe, he's made it there, or almost there. Of course, they'd hear from me the second that I saw him, so I don't know why they keep coming. Maybe it's because they don't want to go home and see his room empty again. I know I wouldn't.

Nerves are wearing thin. Mike swings back and forth between listless and a nearly caffeinated buzz that threatens to endanger his existence (If he says 'knock knock' one more time, I don't think I'll be able to prevent fratricide). Leo and Raph are this close to being at each other's throats. Heck, Raph's this close to being at anybody's throat. And Don… he's almost disappeared. When he comes out of his Lab he carries around a notebook with him and he's constantly making notes on what he 'should be doing'.  
I think that the only reason he hangs out here at all is because Max is here and they can 'speak geek' together.  
I thought that having one genius around was bad when it was either just Max or just Don. Now there's two of them and I'm not sure if they're still speaking English half the time.  
"So if we reverse the polarity on the bi-wave oscillation…"  
"We'll boost the signal by twenty milla-ampli-hertz! That's a three-hundred percent gain! But wouldn't that mean we need to re-calibrate the intake valve sensors to a rotating matrix?"  
"Probably. Or we could just hook them up to this doohickey."  
"Hmm, that could just work. What do you call it?"  
"This doohickey. It's a technical term."  
That was an actual conversation I overheard between them in the Lab.

Every time they come over, Don heads straight for the coffee maker (Max brought his with him) and for a second I can see this conflicted look of guilt in everybody else's eyes. They know he's spreading himself too thin, but until they get a mode of transportation, they're stuck with the same pattern searches. He worries me. If we don't find another front for him to fight on, then he may just become his own worst enemy. Max promised he'd keep an eye on him. I'm glad for that, because I know how Max is. When he's looking out for somebody he takes it seriously. I should know.

Dear Journal,

Mikey asked if I could give them a ride back to the Lair tonight. Of course I said 'sure'. It was fun. We got some weird looks a couple times when the guys didn't duck fast enough to avoid being spotted by people in other cars. That was always interesting.  
When we got back to the Lair they all piled out of the car and headed back inside. Then Mikey came back just as I was about to pull out and said "Thanks. I like your car, it smells like pizza. I wish my room smelled like pizza." Oh Mikey, if your room had to deliver pizza, I'm sure that it would smell like cheese and pepperoni too.

Max said that Don actually got some good sleep last night. Leo made him. I should have had more faith in the big bro. They always take care of their own.  
Max said something kinda funny to me when I got back. Not ha-ha funny, just funny. He said that when he's down there, sometimes it's easy to forget that they're just kids. Especially when he's listening to Don talk and work. And I thought about how often I'd thought the same thing. Not necessarily about Don, they're all like that. Even Mikey sometimes. They're ninjas, warriors. They've kinda had to grow up fast.  
But then they'll go and do something like put a whoopee cushion in my car, start a belching contest in my living room- note to self: never buy root-beer again, or challenge me to a round of Halo 2 (I'd never played till I met them. Turns out I'm not half bad) and remind me that they're teenagers.  
It's strange to think that the Leo who killed the Shredder is the same Leo who keeps hiding my fuzzy socks. The weirdest place I've found them so far: in a ziploc bag in the toilet tank.

Dear Journal,

The BattleShell should be finished today, and not a day too soon. Everybody's antsy to get this show on the road. No pun intended.

Ha ha. Just got out of class and looked at my phone. I never fully understood the true potential of texting until I met these guys.  
_'R u in class rite now? Im bored. Did u park near a manhole?'_ That was Mike  
_'Did Max really rebuild a Nintendo 64 with rubberbands and duct tape? I think he's bluffing.' _That was Don.  
_'I'm hungry. Can u bring Chinese? I want eggrolls!' _Mikey  
_'No way bone-head. ' _That was Raph. (That one had me confused for a second until I read the next message)  
_'Oops, sorry Kate. Meant 2 send that 2 Casey.'_ That made much more sense.  
That's about when the Mikey Album started. Picture messages.  
Mikey's face, his foot, the TV, a soda can, the back of April's head, Mikey's face (he's sticking his tongue out an crossing his eyes in this one), random shot of Leo walking across the room, the ceiling, a bug (that one was also sent to Raph.), and then three of Raph's 'angry face'.  
_'Mikey won't b txting anymore. His phone broke.'_ That was Raph.  
It's weird how you never know how your life is missing something until you get it. I feel like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. (Without the shoes, but I can live without sparkley shoes) I've just stepped from black-and-white into Technicolor and realized what I was missing. But unlike Dorothy, I have no intention of going back to Kansas anytime soon.  
Okay, enough philosophizing. I think I'm going to save the Mikey pics, send them to my e-mail. Maybe I'll put his foot as the ID pic for when he calls me. I already have part of a Chipmunks song as his ringtone so when he calls my phone sings "Oo ee oo ah ah! Ting tang! Walla-walla bing-bang!" over and over. People around me laugh whenever he calls me, so I know it fits.

Dear Journal,

It's finished! We had our first street run tonight! It finally feels like we're making progress. Hang in there Splinter, wherever you are.  
Having the BattleShell up and running is a real boost to morale, which has been steadily decreasing. But something in me says that the search is only beginning. But that doesn't matter, because we WILL find him. We don't know the meaning of the word 'if'; there is only 'when'.

Dear Journal,

So far, nothing. We all run different grids. Max and I drive all over the place, well into the night, but we still come up with nothing. I keep an eye out on all of my pizza deliveries for someplace plausible, but still nothing. Don's going to teach me to drive the BattleShell tomorrow afternoon in between school and work. That should be fun.

Dear Journal,

For a highly specialized, custom-built vehicle, the BattleShell handles like a riding-lawnmower. Of course, I'd never tell that to either of my two favorite geniuses. There's still plenty of fine-tuning in store, and it _was_ kind of a rush job. But still, I _can_ drive it. Mostly. I still don't know what a lot of the switches and buttons do, but I know how to work the com systems, the turbo, and the night vision and infra-red screens that we'll be using to search. And I know which buttons NOT to push (*rockets* cough *missiles* cough).  
Must go, it's almost time to hit the road again.

Dear Journal,

Nothing again tonight. But we'll keep trying. Ninjas ain't quitters. And I'm not a ninja but I'm not a quitter either.

Dear Journal,

Riddle: How do you explain to your best friends that you have to blow off a long-established 'girl's night' to take part in a search party for a missing ninja-master?  
Answer: It's kind of impossible to explain well. Especially when you can't tell them about the whole 'missing ninja-master' thing. I hope that I didn't look like a jerk. Oh well. Ce la vie. It is what it is.

Dear Journal,

No trace again tonight. We've been working our way through the city, and with each passing block the tension grows just a little bit. Every night there's less and less city, but still no Splinter.

Dear Journal,

It's been a few days. No time. Lots of homework on top of searching. We're still searching. Only a few more night's worth left.  
-Later  
Nothing tonight. Master Splinter where are you?

Dear Journal,

Max broke his foot today. He was trying to open a full jar of pickles and dropped it. Luckily, it didn't need surgery. But he's going to have to stay off of that foot for a while. He can still participate in the searches (insists on it, actually), but he's going to have to remain a passenger. Eyes and ears only.  
He has a cast. He wants everyone to sign it at least once.  
Must go, time to deliver pizza. I still have to do that. I'm leaving Max at the Lair until he gets the hang of his crutches. That's an odd concept. My older brother must be babysat. Weird.

Dear Journal,

Still nothing. No traces, no clues. Nothing. I hate how that's becoming normal.  
But Max is a pro on the crutches. He's already using them as extra appendages. I heard that the remote became MIA while he was down there and Mike and Raph used one of his crutches as a substitute because it could reach the buttons on the TV (and Donnie wouldn't let them use his bo). I'd give them a lecture about stealing an injured man's crutch, if I hadn't heard that Max whacked them both on the head for it with the other one. That's my bro!  
Don signed his cast, sort of. He did some math problems on it. Mikey drew a pickle. Raph just scrawled his name in sharpie. And Leo wrote something in Japanese.

Dear Journal,

Max did my calc homework for me. I got up this morning and there was a paper sitting on top of my textbook with all of the answers and work on it. The note says that he even got a few wrong, so that it would match my work. Awww, my big brother cheated for me. How sweet. I think I'll make him cookies. Right after I tell him to get some rest so that he can heal.  
Ahhhh, Friday. TGIF.

Dear Journal,

This is it. The last area to search. We find him tonight. Giving up is not an option. We're all tired of going out full of hope and coming back empty. We find him tonight.

-Later

Finally! An idea! It's not exactly a clue, but it could lead us to one. The Guardians! They're… okay, I'm still pretty confused as to exactly who they are. The guys say they're ninjas. They pretty much saved the day during the showdown with Shredder, but we think that they could've taken Master Splinter. So we're going to set a trap. A ninja trap.  
Hopefully, it'll lead us right to Master Splinter.  
Max and I have met up with everybody else. We're all in the BattleShell now, on our way to set the trap.  
TGIF. I'm really glad I don't have to get up for class in the morning. This is looking like it could be a long and (fingers crossed) exciting night.

-Even Later

Holy crap. Wow. Just. Wow. Where do I start?  
Ninja trap, right. We had to go back to Foot Tower to set up the ninja trap, because that was the best way to effectively get the Guardians' attention. I hated that. I really really hate that place. And they actually had to go inside of it. All of them. Have I mentioned that I hate that place?  
Well, the trap worked at least. The Guardian guy showed up and Mikey did his job well. The guys followed him to… an office building?  
They gave us the green-light and we were there in a couple of minutes. And, yes, it looked like a regular old office building. Right down to the boring. However, we had to get in there. So we sent in this really cool little remote-controlled camera robot that Donnie had cooked up at some point.

And that was when it happened. The camera got a clear shot of the name-plate hanging on the wall behind the main desk in the lobby: Techno-Cosmic Research Institute. Or TCRI.  
The acronym TCRI sent the guys into a bit of a shock, and confused the heck out of April, Max, and me. Until Leo explained it. TCRI was printed on the canister of ooze that mutated them. Don summed it up nicely when he said "The secret to our origin could very well lie within the walls of that building."

If it hadn't been 'high-stakes' before, it was now. We (Don) snooped around a little more with the camera-bot, but only made it down one hallway before it got run over by a janitor cart just before we got a peek inside of the security control room. And Don doesn't have any more of those little camera things.  
But, we've got a back-up plan, or rather, next step in the plan. It is as Leo said "Master Splinter might be in there. Answers we've been looking for our whole lives might be in there. So that means we're going in there."

Looks like my weekend just got booked.

* * *

Well, there you have it. Tune in next time for an exciting TCRI break-in! Wow, I can't believe that I've almost done an entire season. And to think, this started out as a one-shot.  
R&R.


	21. Breaking In, Waiting Out

I'm baaaack! Didja miss me? Don't you hate it when RL runs interferance on your fics? Blech! Sorry for leaving everybody hanging like that. Please accept this extra-long chapter by way of an apology. : ) Thank you for your patience.  
And, of course, a huge thank you to all of my awesome reviewers. Oh wait, that's all of them, silly me! Thank you reviewers! : D

Am I the owner of TMNT? *runs and checks* Nope. Darn.  
On With The Chapter!

* * *

Dear Journal,

We're all spending the day in the Lair getting ready for tonight's infiltration of TCRI. Don, Leo, and April are doing pre-planning type stuff. Mike's testing out this grappling harness that Don built. I can't see Raph, so I don't know what he's doing.  
But Max is cooking lunch. God help us all.

Later

Couldn't resist some snooping. I just heard Max asking how old the Chinese take-out in the fridge is and I went to investigate. It looks like we're having his 'specialty'. It's actually not that bad, it's just kinda gross in concept. He takes all of the leftovers (and a few other random items) from the fridge and pantry and mixes them all up together in a frying pan. Or soup pot, depending on the consistency of the available resources. He calls it an April 16 Special. April 16, the day after tax returns are due. You've given all your money to the government and you're living on leftover leftovers. Actually, he invented it one day when we were almost out of groceries and neither of us wanted to go to the store, but he thinks April 16 Special sounds more poetic.  
Oh goodness, he's investigating pizza boxes. Must stop him before he tries to stir fry pepperoni pizza. The last thing we need is him giving Mikey any ideas.

Dear Journal,

Okay, we've all eaten, (It wasn't that bad. Never is. Actually tastes semi-good in an 'I can't believe this is what I'm eating' kind of way. Our arteries are probably the consistency of molasses right now) and right after lunch we sat down (well, most of us sat down. Mikey was still in the harness. He refused to take it off) and started planning for the break-in. Actually, it wasn't so much planning as Don giving a presentation on TCRI, Mikey getting hyper and tangled in the harness lines while making endless movie references, Leo telling us what he wanted us to do, and then us either agreeing with Leo or arguing with him and each other. Fun times.

It took a while to convince Leo to let Max and me come with to the actual break-in. Max is going to be doing remote tech support for April so that Don can focus on doing his ninja thing, just in case she runs into anything weird. Also, she's taking this tech thingy with her. It's a jump drive with a wireless connection. If she can find a computer terminal and plug it in then Max can hack their computer systems and try to find any files with information on those canisters. That way the guys focus on finding Master Splinter (that's been appropriately deemed as the top priority) and still get their answers at the same time. Max can relay any time-sensitive information as he finds it.  
Leo seemed to be convinced that Max could do all of this from the Lair. No need to 'take needless risks'. He didn't take too well to my asking to come either, even when I suggested that I could be their getaway driver.  
"Max isn't coming, and you're not coming. Only people who are actually going in are coming. You two are waiting in the Lair where it's safe." he said, with his 'I'm the leader, that's why' expression.  
"Alright then. Who's going to stay and 'protect' us in case something goes wrong?" I asked. "If we're that useless then we must need protecting." Max tried to get up at this point and walk away, claiming that he wanted to 'stay out of this one'. I pulled him back down onto the couch.  
"Come on Leo, just let 'em come. It ain't hurting anything." Raph said. From the tone of his voice I think that he _knew_ what he was doing.  
Leo and I were in a staring contest at this point and when Raph said this Leo whirled around and said something sharply in Japanese. Raph responded (in Japanese as well) and it was as if all hell had broken loose. Within seconds all four of them were yelling at each other in Japanese. April, Casey, Max, and I just sat there for a minute with our mouths open. I was reminded, for a brief moment, of the month that Max and I stole cable from the upstairs neighbor (because he was a friend of Max's and he bet Max a hundred dollars that he couldn't do it. He could. We did.) and Max found this Spanish network and we laughed our butts off at Spanish soap operas for about two hours one afternoon (The laughing was mostly at each other and our estimations of what we thought the people were saying to each other, or at least what would be funniest for them to be saying. Max takes such good care of me when I'm sick). There was a lot of yelling on those soap operas and I didn't understand a word of it.  
Okay, random tangent over. We all just stared at the shouting match going on before us, that was obvious that we were not supposed to be taking part in. Max was frowning. I knew why and was trying to keep from snickering as he slowly used his crutches to stand up.  
Then _Max_ yelled something in Japanese and the entire room just froze. I really wish I'd had a camera to take a picture of the stunned look on those boys' faces. A Kodak moment if ever there was one!  
Leo asked Max a question (still speaking Japanese, but not yelling), and Max replied. Then this entire conversation started between Max and the rest of the guys. Still in Japanese.  
April looked at me and mouthed "What just happened?" I shrugged. It would take too long to explain that Max took Japanese in high school. It wasn't a your standard foreign language class though, he took it at the community college. It was part of this program that the school had with the college and the AP/honors program at the high school. I'm kinda sketchy on the details. Bottom line, Max learned Japanese. Besides the whole genius thing, it's kinda what got him his job. But that's probably not what she was asking anyways.  
When the conversation ended the only thing that Max would tell me was that we were now being allowed to go. "It was a private conversation." He said. I had to laugh and roll my eyes at that one "Oh yeah, so _private_ you could probably hear it from out in the sewers."  
I guess if I want to know what they're saying I'll just have to learn Japanese…. Guess I know where I'm getting my foreign language credits. Heh heh. They'll never know what hit 'em! Either that or I'm going to need tons of help studying. That one sounds more realistic.

The break-in plan is simple, and slightly incomplete.  
April goes in and pretends to have an appointment with the head honcho, and while Mr. Front-desk-guard guy is looking up the non-existent appointment, Casey enters and '_distracts'_, giving April ample opportunity to slip into the security control room where she'll turn off the roof alarms and cameras, and plug the wireless hacker thingy into a computer, then she and Casey book it out of there. Thus completing phase one.  
In phase two, the guys, who are on the roof thanks to April's work in the control room, enter the building through a heating/air-conditioning duct (hey, it's clichéd for a reason). Meanwhile, Max will start the hack out in the van and download any files he comes across that might have pertinent information. April will be looking for anything on Master Splinter, building schematics and ways to help them through security. I'm on first-aid duty and getaway stand-by. Make-work, but at least I'm coming. (I didn't get the chance to tell Leo, but if he'd really 'forbidden' me from coming, I'd have just taken my car and showed up anyways. There's no way in the world I'd miss this, and no overprotective ninja is going to stop me. Sorry Leo)  
Phase three is the 'slightly incomplete' part: Find Master Splinter, look for answers, and get out. It can't really be helped since we don't know anything about the inside of that building, and we can't break into the computer systems remotely. They've tried. So that's our plan, wing it.  
It's so simple in theory, and yet…  
I don't know, I just can't shake the feeling that there's an 'and yet' at the end of that sentence. I'm probably just being paranoid. I _hope_ I'm just being paranoid

Dear Journal,

Max, April, Casey and I are sitting here in the BattleShell. I wonder where everything went wrong, or if it really went right and we were just too wrapped up in our own pre-planned ideas to notice. Whatever's happened, losing communication has us all kinda crazy. And it's not the good kind. Is there a good kind of crazy? Don't know. Off topic.  
Max abandoned the idea of hacking a while ago. Apparently there weren't any USB ports in the control room. It was full of strange and unfamiliar technology and it took a long time as it was for April to find a way to turn off the roof sensors. The guys had to take care of the cameras on their own (I heard them say something about Don having a pigeon puppet? Need to remember to ask about that one. There's got to be a good story behind it), and then the roof vents were fake and they couldn't cut through the windows either. Literally couldn't. They tried. April found a way to get them in through what she said was some kind of exhaust port. That's about when it all started going south.  
Casey's _'distracting'_ got out of hand and security found April and they had to make a break for it. And then, right after they got out we lost contact the guys. April and Max have already tried everything they can to get a signal from them. Meanwhile, there's not much around here for me to do. Casey's got a few bumps and bruises. Didn't take long to patch up. Honestly, he probably could have survived without the medical attention, but it was something productive to do (for me anyways). Better than just sitting here waiting for something to happen.

Dear Journal,

I take it back! I _don't _want 'something' to happen! Not if 'something' is a giant blue flashing light shooting up into the sky that's totally going to freak the entire city out and probably blow our cover! Aaaaaah!  
I jinxed us! Saying 'I wish _something_ would happen' is just as bad as saying 'what could possibly go wrong?' or 'it can't get any worse.'; the universe just _has _to prove you wrong when you say stuff like that.  
Please be alright in there guys. Please be okay.

Dear Journal,

We've already got reporters outside. Doesn't look like much, they're just getting some 'live' footage for their top-of-the hour report. We had to move farther back into the alley though, and turn off the van so that we didn't get accosted as 'eyewitnesses'. Ironic that the reporters are the first ones on the scene and we haven't seen a trace of any kind of government authority yet.

Dear Journal,

Reporters have come and gone a couple of times. There was a weirdo alien watcher guy a while back that tried to make a bonfire in the middle of the street. The reporters actually interviewed him. That was kinda funny. He was waving his arms and shouting "The blue men are coming! The blue men are coming! Take me with you!" Cops showed up about the time he started dancing around his street-fire. They put it out and hauled him away. Other than crazy guy, it's been mostly reporters. A couple of cops came by earlier, but they didn't even get out of their cars.  
Meanwhile we're _still _sitting here.

Later

There was another flash. We still have no idea what they mean, just that they're big and they attract a lot of attention. And that our boys are in the building they're happening in.  
Please, please, please, please be okay.

Dear Journal,

Insert expletive of choice here. The National Guard is on its way! They're going to 'investigate' the weird blue flashes of light. And we have no way to warn the guys that the building that they are in is about to be surrounded by government authorities! This can't be happening! Okay, need to stop writing now. We're getting ready to… do stuff. I don't really know what we're doing but we have to do _something_! We can't just let them get exposed! Not at any cost.

Dear Journal,

Can't write long. Army outside. Casey's been pacing like a caged tiger. He really wants to get out there and plow his way through to the guys. Not that it would work, he just wants to. Max has been looking at his cast with utter contempt and April's been eyeing the turbo button. I think we all want to.

Later

The building locked itself down (literally. It now has a layer of metal covering the entrances and first-floor windows). Really worried. Max is going to try to patch us into their radios, but it could take time.

Later

Their tanks didn't have any effect. The door withstood a barrage of missiles.  
The military action in downtown New York is drawing onlookers by the dozens. I'm wondering, even with the ninja stuff, how are the guys going to get past the crowd of National Guardsmen, not to mention avoid being seen by all of the constantly rolling cameras and random civilians who apparently have nothing better to do in the middle of the night than gather at a building that's emitting blue flashes of light (it's like they're moths or something. Hellooo! Times Square anyone?). Still nothing on the radios, but it's not like we have a fully stocked lab back there.

Later

The army guys are backing off. Does that mean that they're leaving?  
No. Not leaving. They just got a helicopter to shoot a missile at the door! And now there's a big smoking hole. Great. This is really great. And now even the army's inside and we're stuck out here.  
We need to know what's going on in there! And we can't wait for Max to finish with the radios! Argh! If only there was some way they'd just tell us what we wanted to know.

Later

April's got an idea! It should get us closer, and hopefully get us more information. Maybe they actually will just tell us what we want to know. Here's to hoping.

Dear Journal,

Okay, that was officially the craziest night of my life. Bar none. And yes, I'm counting the night that I got kidnapped by Purple Dragons, thrown in the trunk of a car, found out that mutant turtles exist, and threw up on Raph's foot.  
But Master Splinter's back, safe and sound. _Everyone's _safe and sound. So it's all worth it.

I can't even begin to describe all of the craziness that occurred. April and Casey disguised themselves as a news crew and went to try to get more info on what was going on and while they were gone we all got The Phone Call. It was Leo. He wanted us to try to warn everybody that the building was about to blow up. Yes, that's right. TCRI blew up! Imploded actually. But that's not even the craziest thing.  
Since I found out that New York City's sewers really _are _inhabited by giant reptiles, I've stopped using that as my example for something totally unbelievable. You know. (*sarcastic voice* "Oh, riiiight. And there's all _kinds_ of things living in the sewers.") That one. Well, I guess I can't use aliens anymore either.  
Turns out that what the Guardians were guarding was a building full of aliens! Good-guy aliens that have a device that somehow beamed the guys to a different galaxy and back (the flashes of light were the transporter doing its thing). We have yet to hear the whole story, but apparently they were gone for two weeks somehow. And I'm really tired, so I'm going to go to sleep now.  
Max and me and April and Casey (bad grammar at 4:30 in the morning) have decided to just take it for what it is at the moment and get our answers when everybody's had some decent rest.  
Master Splinter is back. Leo, Raph, Don, and Mikey are safe and unharmed. For the first time in a long time my family is truly complete. I'm going to sleep soundly tonight.

All is right with the world.

* * *

Hooray!  
I know that I'm partway into season two, but I'm considering this my season one finale. (Not finale as in final chapter, just the season finale)

On to season two! Just from looking at the episode summaries I can tell that it's going to be fun!


	22. Here and Now

Aaaah. It's good to be back!

I do not own any Teenaged Mutant Ninja Turtles. And I think they'd take offense if I tried... ;)

Okay, just a little info before we get rolling. This chapter is taking place a little more than a month after the previous chapter. Why? Ask me in December...

* * *

Dear Journal,

Ugh. I have been corrected by Leonardo and subjected to the appropriate lecture. I don't know how I managed to wander around for almost two months under the assumption that he was carrying _katanas_. Technically speaking, the swords that he and Raph made at the farmhouse are _ninjato. _I won't be making that mistake again.  
How a sixteen year old managed to make me feel like an ignorant child I'll never know. I'll be watching him closely to avoid the experience in the future. Counter-measures _will_ be taken. I'm on to you Leo. I'll be watching...

Dear Journal,

Babysitting tonight. Steph's mom had a last minute meeting dropped on her and Steph and Jesse have a date so I offered to babysit Steph's little brother, Brian. He's a nice kid. Steph swears he's a terror, but I guess he's a wily terror because he's good whenever I'm around.  
The only thing is that I'll have to wait to hear how Max's day went. He's got two job interviews today. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried. That's probably why I'm writing instead of eating lunch. We really could use the income, but I still wonder if Max is ready to get back out into the workforce again. His last job ended _so_ well and the interview process is only bringing up bad memories in so many fun ways. (Have I ever mentioned that I hate the Shredder?) Max could probably find a better job, or get hired on the spot, if he wanted to use some of his contacts from college. There are still some strings he can pull without too many questions getting asked about his old job. However, I think that it was pretty much a unanimous decision that, for the time being, he'll be giving R&D a very wide berth. I just hope he doesn't wind up settling for a job that makes him miserable. There's got to be something out there that's a nice middle ground between 'safe' and 'happy'.

Dear Journal,

Babysitting was just about as easy as I thought it would be. The hardest part was getting the kid to do his homework. I wound up sitting down and doing some of my own at the table with him just to make sure he didn't try to sneak his Game-dude. He needed a little help with his math worksheet, but it was pretty simple.  
Dinner was easy too: boxed mac & cheese. He ate his with ketchup over the top. Are strange food combinations a guy thing, or is it a 'gross out your sister' thing? But then, how do I defend myself for the way I've been known to make sandwiches out of side-dishes? (potato-salad, turkey, cheese, and barbeque chip is still a winner. Can't beat the classics) I could blame it on Max's influence, if he didn't find the concept revolting. This from the inventor of the 'jelly-burger'? Granted he was five- but still.  
Speaking of Max, his interviews went well. He should for sure by the end of the week whether or not they're going to offer him anything, but he thinks that one of the companies could call him tomorrow or the day after. That's good news. Very good news. And he's so excited, so hopeful.  
So why do I dread the ring of the phone?

Dear Journal,

No call today. Max is a little disappointed, but he's still expecting that it could come tomorrow as well. They practically told him that they were hiring him. At least, that's what he says.  
Today was 'drugstore day'. Meaning that April and I went to the drugstore for all of those lovely things that confuse guys when you put them on the grocery list.  
My bangs are getting too long again. I hate paying someone _just _to trim my bangs, but me handling scissors next to my eyes? Not a good idea. Maybe Macie could do it. She convinced me to try bangs in the first place…

Dear Journal,

Max got the job! I'm bringing home a few pizzas with me and everyone is coming over to celebrate! I only have a little time before work but I just had to get out some of my excitement. He left a message on my phone while I was in class and he sounded so happy.  
I know he feels guilty that I'm supporting him. But I'm just glad that we're together. To tell the truth, we'd started to go our separate ways before he was taken. I came so close to losing him either way, whether it was to the Shredder or our own apathy. You don't know what you have until it's gone. Ain't that the truth. I'm so lucky that I got a second chance. I _won't_ let my family slip through my fingers again.  
We're survivors. We survive, and we will continue to survive because we stand together. We know acutely that the truth is much stranger than fiction and legends and rumors are sometimes strange enough to be fact.

Dear Journal,

So, dinner was… interesting. And I'm not talking about the fact that I just hosted five bottomless pits (I never knew that four mutant teenagers and one grown vigilante could go through a stack of pizzas like that). Max's new job… I don't really know where I stand on that front. On the one hand, he seems genuinely happy about it. On the other, he's capable of so much more. I don't believe that he believes he settled, but I honestly don't know if he'll be truly happy working in a small-time repair shop. But, I guess I'll just have to trust him. This is what he wants. He and Donnie checked it out completely and the old man running the place is totally clean. No danger there. And he loved fixing up the Battleshell.  
I just want my brother to be happy and healthy and safe (as possible).

Dear Journal,

I found my fuzzy socks again today. They were in an envelope taped to the ceiling of my pantry. Well played Leonardo, well played.  
Max gave me such a weird look when I was getting them down. It's not my fault! Leo's the weirdo who keeps hiding them. But the look on his face _was_ pretty funny.

Dear Journal,

I had some rare time to kill this evening and nothing was on TV and Max was down at the Lair collaborating with Donnie. So I thought I'd work on scanning some of our old photo albums. It's good to have digital backups. April had back-ups of all of her old photos and home-movies in a safe that somehow managed to survive the fire. I want that kind of assurance. We don't have room for a safe exactly (this is still an apartment), but I bought a fire-proof lock-box that we can put disks and jump drives in.

I'd been scanning for about an hour when Max and Don and Mikey came back. Max and Don had decided to take their techno-geek show on the road (they needed something that Max keeps here), and Mikey had tagged along because there was nothing on TV and Leo was 'being boring' (meditating) and Raph was out with Casey.  
Personally, I think April had something to do with it. Mikey seemed a little… sugar buzzed. Not that I'm insinuating that April doesn't love Mikey. We all love Mikey. But no one wants to be alone with a hyper Mikey. Which is kind of what happened to me when Max and Don zipped off into the kitchen (my kitchen has turned into a lab!).  
It actually wasn't too bad once he stopped vibrating… I kid! I kid! Mikey wasn't nearly that hyper. He was just a little… over-enthusiastic about what I was doing. It was actually sort of fun looking through old pictures with him. We laughed so hard over Max's ridiculous bowl-cut. And that horrible dress I wore for my third grade school picture. Ugh. That shade of yellow… There were some cute ones though. I really like the one of Max with a towel tied around his neck pretending to be a superhero. I was on the floor next to the Christmas tree lying across the toy train tracks, tied up with a jump rope. In the next one I'm chasing him around trying to give my 'hero' a kiss, still tied up with the jump rope. He's running because 'girls have cooties' (even sisters).

Mikey started telling some fun stories from when he was a kid. Things like how they used to tie Raph's wrist to a pipe to keep him from sleepwalking away in the middle of the night. Or how the first real source of electricity that they had was a car battery that Don snagged from a car in the junkyard. Or how their first times going topside were to the junkyard in the dead of night to 'hunt for treasure'. Master Splinter turned the necessary exercise of scavenging into a game, teaching them to be quiet and stay in the shadows.  
He says that they have a few pictures from 'way back when' from a few disposable cameras that were found. Don recently figured out how to develop the film himself (couldn't exactly send the pictures off to a lab). He said he'd show me if I wanted to see. And then there's the digital camera that they found shortly before they found April. It's not exactly the best quality, but it serves its purpose- DIY memory preservation, no middleman involved (unless you count Don's printer).

Dear Journal,

I had a nightmare tonight. A new one. I haven't had the old one since we got Max back. I dreamed about being in a dark tight space. I thought it was a dream about being trapped in the trunk of my car, but turns out I'd wrapped myself up in my blanket. I guess I was thrashing around a lot because I woke myself up when I rolled off of the bed.  
That hurt. It freaked Max out too. He came running into my room to see what was wrong. I wound up having to calm _him_ down.  
Needless to say, we were both pretty tired this morning.  
I wonder why I've never dreamed about the trunk of my car before.

Dear Journal,

Mikey came over this afternoon and stayed for several hours… until his brothers figured out where he was.  
It seems I was harboring a fugitive. Raph and Don were quite put out about his latest prank and Leo came along to make sure that things didn't get out of hand.  
In related news, due to a jell-o incident, Raph will be without a shell-cell for the near future. And for future reference, electronics are not good additives to wiggling desserts. No matter how 'cool' it would be to have said dessert sing 'shake it' when you call your brother's phone.

Dear Journal,

Macie's birthday is coming up. I need to get her a present.  
Also, I need to get with Jesse and Steph and conspire to do something for her.

Dear Journal,

It's Friday! This makes me happy.  
And, tomorrow night is movie night in the lair! I need to go do the weekly grocery shopping now. I've added some random junk food to the list to bring with us.  
I just have to keep the barbeque chips away from Max for twenty-four hours…

* * *

Hey folks, guess what! We're officially, completely, into season two! Last chapter straddled the season finale and the season opener, but this chapter is irrefutably, smack dab, inside of Season Two!  
So get ready for some fun! If I may refresh your memory, Season Two includes such stories as the City at War arc, the first introduction of Leatherhead, Rouge in the House, and The Big Brawl (aka Battle Nexus Championship), and much much more!  
So stay tuned, and hang onto your seats. (I've got plans for this season!) Same bat-time, same bat-place! Over and out!


	23. Normal Nights, Strange Days

*gasp!* can it be? Another chapter? In a timely manner? It is! It is!  
A higher standard of quality brought to you by Peechy-Keen (thanks for beta-ing this for me Peechy) :D Everybody give her a round of applause.  
As always, a big thank you to all the reviewers and readers. You are most awesome.  
Now, On With the Chapter!

* * *

Dear Journal,

I had a lovely weekend day today. Max had to work and Steph and I went shopping for presents for Macie. We didn't find anything, but we got a few ideas. I hid the barbeque chips in my car. Ha! Take that Max!  
Now we're getting ready to head down to the Lair for movie night. There's something about ten TV's that just adds to the experience…  
I hear that Casey is picking the movie. Slightly concerned about that.

Dear Journal,

Last night was many things that I am still trying to wrap my head around.  
I think I'll start with the movie. The movie is safe. Casey picked a western. Rio Gato. It seems I've misjudged Casey Jones. He knows how to pick a thrilling flick. I think even Master Splinter was at the edge of his seat by the final showdown at the end of the movie.  
And then… and then we went for ice cream. All of us piled into the Battleshell. (I don't think that's happened since TCRI.) We parked behind Chilly Willy's and Casey, April, and I picked up everybody's orders. It was the makings of the perfect ending to a perfect evening.  
Too bad everything went to shell right in the middle of my double fudge cone.  
I realized something last night. Out of all the crazy stuff that's happened in my life recently, I've actually been physically present for about fifteen percent of it. I may have worried about Max for months, I may have freaked out when April's shop ended up on the news, but I wasn't there. I didn't get sucked into space, I've never even seen what the Shredder looks like. Last night was the first time I've seen any of them, anyone at all, fight for real. And it was scary. When Leo went over the side… I thought we'd lost him. It's going to take a while to get that yell out of my head, and then there was a second yell and… I'm just glad he's okay.  
I can't write anymore now. I need a hug.

Dear Journal,

Okay, I'm back. I got a few things worked out and now I'm ready to talk about the other parts of last night. If I remove myself from how scary and worrisome it was, I realize that it was actually pretty… weird!  
First aliens from outer space, now magical ninjas? As if the regular kind weren't enough trouble. And there was a freaky bubble dome thingy and… and… the puddle ate Leo! I guess these people use water as a teleportation system. We actually experienced it a little after Leo did. It was so weird! We came out and we weren't wet! But I still had to hold my breath going through. Max is confused by it all. He says that there's two explanations. Either it's a technology so advanced that it looks like magic to us primitive earthlings; or it actually is magic and we just encountered it up close and personal. Both concepts kinda make my brain fizzle. Max is going with door number one (no surprise there).  
I think I forgot something… oh yeah! The giant dragon that the ninja guy summoned to eat us when he lost! (He'd been cheating all night. I don't know why we were so surprised. Oh, I know! GIANT KILLER DRAGON!)  
And one last little complaint about the night: even though the ninja guy's father showed up and apologized and gave Leo back his katanas (are they ninjato, or katana? I am so confused now!), and complimented him and stuff, they still left us at the top of a bridge! No magical puddle ride down. We had to climb. In the middle of the night.  
Yes, I know that my complaints are nothing compared to Leo's, who actually had to fight the guy, but I think I have a right to be a little put out when a nice movie night and ice cream run turns into having to climb down the Brooklyn Bridge in the middle of the night, and then walk through the sewers back to where we parked. We're just lucky the BattleShell didn't get stolen. It was sitting there in an alley, unlocked, when we got bubble-napped.

Dear Journal,

Michelangelo is a dead turtle walking. He'd better have at least saved me a slice or they're never going to find his body.  
I can't believe that he ordered pizza _from my apartment_! I had to deliver to my own home! Not only that, but now everyone at work knows that I know '_them_'. They want to know how I met _'them'_. "Let's see. First I was kidnapped and locked in a trunk and then I woke up in a stranger's garage." Yeah… No. I lied. A lot. They'd better appreciate this.

Later-

Yeah, Mikey didn't really appreciate the awkwardness of the situation he'd put me into until I got home and explained to him (and his brothers. Word had gotten around: there's pizza at Kate and Max's place) the concept of _'them'_. It was awkward talking to them about the myth they've become around my workplace. We even have a toppings pool about what's going on the next order (Mikey's cast iron stomach has contributed greatly to their notoriety), I haven't joined in as I feel that I would be cheating a little.  
Well, I got several reactions. Mikey thought it was cool. He called it being a secret celebrity and wanted to set up a twitter account to see how many pizza followers they could get. Leo wanted to know why I hadn't told them about this threat to their secrecy earlier. I like to think I was doing a pretty good job of keeping a lid on it until _someone_ decided to call in an order from my house. You couldn't just text me and ask me to bring home a pie, Mikey? 'Cause I can do that. When I have to go home and then back to work it makes me cranky. Raph and Don… they were somewhere in between Leo and Mikey; concerned but curious. It took a while to reassure Leo. And I don't think any of them will be using the abandoned house to order take out for a while. I also satisfied most of the curiosity about their 'myth' status. It was a bit of a let-down to Mikey, but it's just the stuff that cooks and drivers think up to make their hours at work a little more fun. Nothing like super-heroes, magic ninjas, and aliens. I pretty much keep my mouth shut and my head down. It keeps my smiling at their conversations hidden.

Dear Journal,

Found a birthday present for Macie. She's been saying that she needs a new umbrella, so I got her a nice one that should last her for a couple of years. And a box of chocolate turtles. They're her favorite.

Donny's all jazzed because he got to drive a forklift last night. He wanted to bring it home. Something about 'giving the BattleShell an upgrade' but Leo put a stop to that idea. The forklift belonged to the people whose warehouse those mobsters were trying to steal from.

Dear Journal,

Talked to Steph and Jesse today about birthday plans for Macie. We decided on a great sub shop that's only a couple of blocks away from the college.  
Max is loving his job. He really does seem a lot happier. And the extra money always is welcome. I wasn't about to tell him (_or _the guys or Master Splinter), but I was getting close to dipping into the money Mom and Dad left me in order to pay for stuff. But now, it seems that the sky's the limit. Who knows, if we get enough saved up we might be able to afford a place with _two_ bedrooms!

Dear Journal,

Went over to the Lair again tonight, dropped Max off, and brought April back here for a girls night. Sort of. It was more of a 'get away from the men!' night. We didn't wind up watching chick flicks, but we did manage to eat the quiche we made. And it _was _a nice break from the… guy-ness that usually permeates our lives. As nice as the dudes we know can be, they're still dudes. We need feminine company! (I'm lucky, I got Steph and Macie. I don't know who April has besides me. I think she left her girlfriends back west.)  
Well, we were going to watch a movie but we wound up talking all evening about… martial arts. Okay, self-defense lessons. From Master Splinter. That's kind of 'talking about martial arts', isn't it?  
April never really forgot what happened in her shop the night the Foot attacked. I'm sure the stories don't do it justice. She's been trying to get up the nerve to ask Master Splinter to teach her some stuff so nothing like that will ever happen again and apparently, she's got it. But she wanted to know if I'd come with her; both to ask and for the lessons. She doesn't really want to do it alone. We talked about it for a while, and I said yes. Next time somebody tries to throw me in a trunk, I want to be able to _do_ something about it.  
But I told her to wait because, well … I'd like to talk to Max. I think he would benefit from a few self-defense lessons as well. It might be just what he needs to regain confidence in himself. We've both been a little overprotective of each other lately, but on occasion he can be downright clingy. I'm not complaining (much), I just wish he didn't feel like he had to protect me from the evils of opening the door to the UPS guy.  
All I have to do is convince him that it's a good idea. Shouldn't be that hard. Right?

Dear Journal,

Tonight I got home to find Donatello already in my apartment. This isn't odd by any means. Don sometimes comes by when Max isn't here to drop off stuff that they're working on. Even the hour wasn't that weird. It's still winter enough to be dark early, or at least sufficiently shadowy early in the evening.  
What _was_ odd was that I found him bent over an open dishwasher. All of the boys avoid their own chores like the plague. Except maybe Leo, but that's because he thinks he needs to set a 'leaderly example'. He still hates them. So there's no way that Don would B&E my apartment to do the dishes (as much as I'd love it…). Naturally, that immediately led to other suspicions.  
I laugh now when I think of the panicked thoughts that went through my head: my apartment full of soap bubbles, dishwasher parts strewn all over my kitchen, smoke billowing from the dishwasher (I still have no idea how that would be possible, but I have faith that Don could find a way).  
Turns out that all he wanted to do was put a video camera and flash-light (protected by Ziploc baggie and much packing tape) in with the next load of dishes, just because he was curious.  
So I let him. Now I'm kind of curious myself.

Dear Journal,

It took some figurative arm-twisting and a whole lot of conniving, but Max has agreed to go to at least one self-defense lesson. I just had to point out that it would be a great way to make his overprotective tendencies more effective, give them some follow-through. He agreed before I got up to 'I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to you'. I was saving that one for last.  
It's the truth though. It will take a great burden off my mind if Max is able to protect himself. He was a target once and I don't think I'll ever stop being afraid that it could happen again. Shredder may be gone, but the Foot are still out there.  
All I want is for my family to be safe and happy. Is that too much to ask, too much to dream for? Who knows; in our world, it might be. But that doesn't mean I'm going to stop fighting for that dream in whatever way I can.

* * *

Thank you for reading. Review if you like. Either way, have good morning, afternoon, evening or night. Whichever applies. :)


	24. Learning Curve

WELL! That took far too long. Yes, this story is still in progress. I've got far too many plans to abandon it when I'm only just building to the good stuff- even though it was close for a bit there... however, here we are now with a bright shiny new chapter and a big thank you to the fantastic Peechy-Keen who agreed to beta this horribly belated chapter. And on that note, the words that have been too long in coming:  
ON WITH THE STORY!

* * *

Dear Journal,

Macie's birthday was today! Steph and Jesse and I took her out to lunch at the sub shop and did the sing-in-front-of-a-restaurant-full-of-strangers thing. It was glorious. There wasn't time for her to open all of her gifts before we had to go back to class, but we gave them to her and she'll open them when she gets home tonight. I'm glad that we made today fun for her because I could see that she was missing Lucas a bit more than usual.

It's still hard to tell myself that Macie is allowed to take risks and do stupid things for her family just as much as I am. I may keep my distance from any specific information, but that doesn't mean that I haven't been there for her as much as I can. There's so much I wish I could tell her; even if I can't do anything to help at least she would know that I understand. Secrets suck.

Dear Journal,

Max and I are going to go down to the Lair tonight after the guys have left on their run and present our request with April to Master Splinter. I'm nervous. What if I'm 'unworthy' or something? Or what if he does agree to teach us and I make a total fool out of myself? I have to pull it together though because Max is even more reluctant than I am.

-Later

I worried over nothing. Master Splinter thought it was an excellent idea, but told us that we had better be serious about the training. He gave us a simple workout, some push-ups and laps, to gauge fitness or something like that. And he instructed us on some basic dojo etiquette.  
After the lesson Max tried to bow out of the training, but Master Splinter took him aside and had a few words with him. Now my brother seems to be the most determined student out of all of us.

Dear Journal,

Max had a nightmare last night. First one in a while. At least, the first one loud enough to wake me up. I hope we're doing the right thing.

Dear Journal,

Max seems troubled. He went to Master Splinter and now he's learning some of that meditation stuff too. I hope it helps. He was getting better before we started this training and it has me worried. The lessons may be helping him stay safe, but I don't know what else they've stirred up. He never talked about what happened while he was missing and I never pushed. I don't think he's spoken with Don or any of the guys about it either (I like to think they'd at least tell me that he was talking about it). From what we do know, it was bad. I don't like to write about the conclusions I've drawn so far—it makes me sick and it feels like borrowing trouble. He'll talk when he's ready. All I can do in the meantime is make sure he knows that I'm here for him.

I really wish this wasn't such a big secret though. My brother was kidnapped! He should get justice! He should be able to get some professional help—counseling—something. I know that he'd never be able to. If he confessed being a victim of kidnapping, any therapist would probably be obligated to tell the police. If he told them that Oroku Saki was really a thousand year old alien ninja warlord bent on conquering the galaxy, he'd probably be institutionalized. No thank you! He's already spent far more time locked up than any person should!

I think I'm going to change my major. We definitely need a psychologist around for the days when a sister isn't quite enough. I don't know what I'm going to do with Max when July rolls around (not to mention Mother's Day and Father's Day). We'll just have to stick together; survive like we always have. And count on the rest of the good guys we've got in our corner.

Dear Journal,

The socks are gone again. He snuck in while I was home, the damn ninja! Then he texted a taunting text about my awareness level. I will have my revenge, Leo!

Dear Journal,

The bicycle delivery boy for the teriyaki place next to work was mugged last night. He's okay, but it's a little scary to think about. Brings up bad memories too. This is why we're training.

I talked to Max about changing my major. He thinks that I should take a psychology class first to make sure I don't absolutely hate the subject. I can use the credits, and that way if I don't like it 'no harm, no foul'. Or something along those lines.

Dear Journal,

It's finally Friday! There isn't much going on this weekend. Max and I are probably just going to play host to the boys and April's comings and goings. Max and Don may migrate down to the Lair for the lab space. Macie's got a big newspaper project she's working on, and Jess and Steph are celebrating their three year anniversary as a couple. They've been getting pretty serious lately. I wonder when Jesse's going to propose? They're made for each other. We all know it's going to happen sooner or later. The only question is when.

I will definitely need this weekend. I am so sore from all the training we've been doing! I'm not so great at getting my regular exercise beyond the walking (and occasional harried running) I do around campus and almost always take the stairs. At least I know I'll be getting an A in whatever PE class I take.

Dear Journal,

So… today was different than I planned. Turns out that Saturday means 'good day for extra training' in the Hamato household. I spent most of the morning working out instead of sleeping in. But that's okay. Tomorrow is supposed to be an afternoon session.

After training, Max and I hung out down at the Lair for a couple of hours. He wanted to get some lab time with Don and I didn't want to work on my homework yet… I mean, I haven't seen enough of my friends this week! (Yeah. Yeah that's it…)

April is up to her neck in insurance paperwork, trying to recover the money from the store, her apartment, the inventory that she lost in the fire. I spent most of the afternoon helping her where I could until I couldn't take the procrastination-anxiety anymore and excused myself to work on my homework. I managed to get most of it completed. There's still some to be done tomorrow morning before training, but I should be able to get it finished and still have some free time.  
Now, I should probably be getting to bed. I will definitely enjoy being able to sleep in tomorrow!

Dear Journal,

Max had another dream last night. Sleeping in is overrated when you can distract your brother from nightmares with a BIG breakfast at an early hour. We have more French toast in our fridge than I know what to do with at the moment. Now I'm off do some homework and Max just left to go get a shift in at work before we head down to the Lair.

Later –

Training is HARD! Really glad I got all my homework done this morning. Too tired to do much else.

Dear Journal,

Macie confided in me today after class. She's worried about her cousin. He's starting to back off; it's taking longer for him to respond to communication. She's scared for him and she doesn't know what to do. I wish I knew what to tell her. I wish a lot of things these days.

Dear Journal,

Max and I got to use the emergency medical kit tonight. Well, I did. Max sat off to the side and read things out of the book and handed me things and tried very hard not to look at the stab wound on Mikey's arm. Ever since he got back, he's been more squeamish around blood- just another little thing to thank Shredder for.

Anyway, Mikey showed up at the window as we were washing the dishes from dinner. It was late—around ten-ish—but we tend to eat late on nights that I work. He looked like hell: bruised and scraped six ways to Sunday and clutching his arm to stop the bleeding. But he was grinning like he'd just won the lottery.

"Guess who kicked butt tonight!" was the first thing out of his mouth as he climbed over the windowsill.

"Please tell me it was you." Max responded as he made a beeline for the kitchen.

I called for him to grab the first-aid kit while he was in there, feeling only a little guilty about voiding whatever his evasion scheme had been. Apparently, Mikey, Raph, and Casey got into a fight with some Purple Dragons down in the 'abandoned warehouse' district. They kicked butt. Mikey got injured. Raph and Casey escorted him here since we were closer than the Lair or Casey's place. Then they left to go finish the job (don't know, didn't ask). That act was somewhat reassuring—it meant that Mikey wasn't injured badly and that Raph trusted us to patch him up.

Mikey was still calmer through the ordeal than I was: if you call excitedly recounting the 'epic butt-whooping' calm on any level. He even had to reassure _me_ at one point when I started to panic over the fact that I'd never _stitched anyone's flesh closed_ before. The whole thing was very weird and quite stressful. Although, I think I could do it again if I had to. I hope I don't, but I think I could. It's still unsettling how calm Mikey was about the whole thing. It wasn't just pretend calm—teenage macho 'rub some dirt on it,' 'ignore your injuries' kind of calm either. He honestly didn't think that having me stitch his arm up was a big deal. It was a little surreal having him sit there watching cartoons while I took care of his gang-fight-acquired laceration.

Dear Journal,

Girl's night in tonight. Had to do a little schedule magic what with training now and all. We're meeting at Macie's place for a movie night. I'm bringing a pizza from Cheesy's since I have to go there straight from work to make it on time. I'm also bringing a change of clothes because I don't want to sit around in my uniform all night. NOT comfortable.

Steph's bringing the movies. I hope she doesn't pick some obscure sci-fi flick again or horror. Her taste in movies is fine, but I suppose that I've come to count on these nights as a chance to get away from the testosterone. Between Max and the boys, I really do need a chick flick every now and again.

Dear Journal,

Max and I are fighting. I don't even know why I'm mad at him. Well, that's a lie—he was an idiot to think that he could get away with saying that. But I have no idea where the argument started. One minute we were doing bills and the next minute we were arguing. It just snowballed from there.

This apartment really wasn't designed for cohabitation; and having him sleeping on the couch is getting inconvenient for both of us. It may be called a 'living room' but that doesn't mean that it's meant for someone to live there. And don't get me started on the freaking SCIENCE that he leaves everywhere.

Actually, I think that's where the argument started. We both agree on the need for a bigger apartment, but we both somehow managed to insult each other when stating our personal reasons why. After that, things got a bit… personal. It's the way of siblings, I suppose. We know each other, so we always know just what to say. Whether that's a good thing or a bad thing depends on the intent.

I'm just going to be mad at him for a little while longer. Probably until I'm finished with my homework. But I'll apologize before we go down to the Lair for training. I said some pretty rotten things too, after all.

-Later

Max and I are okay again. Officially. I think we might both tread a bit more carefully for the next few days though. That was the first big fight we've had in a long time.

Dear Journal,

Macie has a date for Valentine's Day. Now it's just me and April—single ladies. Honestly, my life is way too complicated and full of secrets to be able to support a healthy relationship right now. That doesn't mean I still don't want the occasional date. To kiss, _be _kissed, have a reason to use the vase that has been gathering dust under the sink, maybe even go dancing and make a complete fool out of myself in front of strangers in shoes that hurt. However, it looks like Valentine's Day will just be another day. At least chocolate is on sale.

Dear Journal,

I had a funny conversation with Steph today at lunch that has me thinking. I don't know how things got onto the subject but she's always been a 'dreamer' sort. She was telling me about some movie she saw and made a comment about how cool it would be if the things in the movie were real. I told her that reality is fine for me (my life resembles one of those action/thriller/sci-fi movies of hers way too much already) and she seemed astonished.

"Yeah, but haven't you ever felt like this world… that there just should be _more_?" she asked, gesturing wildly at our surroundings.

To be honest, I have felt that. A sense of dissatisfaction. Before I met the Hamatos I used to wish to be part of something bigger. It was a big factor in my career choice—if I couldn't make history, at least I could touch it with my own two hands. Lately though, I want nothing to do with big world-changing things. I just want to be safe with my family, old and new. Nothing high profile. No great evil to be overcome—the Shredder left plenty of evil behind in what my brother is still dealing with. The boys still face enough violence on the streets every day. I used to think that there should be more until I found out that the world is full to bursting. Now I wish there was a little more room for peace and quiet. Steph wants more and I hope that she never finds it. The status does not become quo after twenty-three minutes, until next week's episode.

* * *

So, no episodes yet. The next chapter will have at least part of one. I think. We'll have to see. If you're still with me, after more than a year of nothing then I thank you for your patience. If you are relatively new, then welcome! (And I swear this isn't a regular thing).


	25. The Only Option

Wow! You're still here! :D That's awesome! I've got plans and stuff is brewing!  
I'd like to extend an enormous truckload of thanks to my amazing beta, Peechy-keen. She is the best.

* * *

Dear Journal,

It's that time of year again—midwinter. It's been way too cold for way too long and he sun is so small up in the sky that it feels like I'll never be warm again. To add to the _joy_, Valentine's Day is just around the corner. Whoop-de-freakin'-do. I've officially got the mid-winter blues. Nothing is _wrong_ per se, but I just can't seem to shake the way that every day drags out like an endless row of Mondays.  
I'd really like to see some green in the trees that didn't climb up there to throw snowballs at me.

Dear Journal,

Don must have a new project because Max has been down in the Lair for dinner more often than not this week. The quiet is nice. Weird… but nice. I love how I've gotten so used to living with Max again. I can't believe I used to spend so much time alone. Now I can't imagine this apartment filled to capacity between the two of us, our open window policy, and all of the science! slowly taking over the kitchen. Sometimes I try to imagine what it was like Before. It seems so empty; why didn't I realize how empty it was?

-Later

Oh Irony, thou art a cruel and fickle bitch. Raph has a concussion. He wandered into my apartment with a concussion as I was brushing my teeth. I am currently in the process of keeping him awake and have sewn up the bleeding gash in his skull (Why is my home suddenly an emergency room?!) because I cannot reach ANYONE down in the Lair. If there is not trouble down there, I swear by my fuzzy pink socks, there will be. The book has been a tremendous help. Google doesn't really work in this case. The only thing I'm getting about bleeding head wound/concussions is "OMG! Take him to the hospital NOW!" which is so not an option it isn't even funny.  
Raphael will be staying here tonight. He's not quite… all there at the moment. I fear that if I let him leave he might wander around and get… somewhat stabby. He's in no condition for violence or stealth. An hour of Bohemian Rhapsody can attest to that. I would take him to the Lair, but I have no clue what's going on down there. What if it's bad? I've got enough on my plate to worry about as it is with Raph as a patient, but I can't help but worry about what may or may not be going on down in the Lair. Maybe it's a science experiment. That's cut off all communication to the surface. Electro-magnetic pulse? What if there's somebody down there attacking them? What if there was an accident (scientific explosion) or a gas leak or a pipe burst dumping tons of raw sewage all over them? They'll all get so sick! We could take April and Max to the hospital, but what about the turtles and Master Splinter? What would we do? What am I supposed to do?

-Even Later

It's doing no good to speculate. And I think Raph is starting to get suspicious. I haven't told him about there not being any contact with the Lair. I know he'd insist on running there right now if he thought his family was in trouble, but he's in no condition to be any help if they are. So I called Casey and explained the situation. He's headed there now to check on things. He'll call back when he knows what's going on. Hopefully, this means that I can have Raph home safe and sound in less than an hour. Fingers crossed.

Even Laterer-

They're fine. Don and Max are experimenting with a new signal jamming device for the BattleShell. Apparently, two wires accidentally touched and it turned on. They didn't notice until Casey came by to make sure that everyone was alright.  
Raph is home now, in the care of those better equipped to deal with him than I am. It is a relief to hear that I did okay with my second ever emergency patient. Now, I need to call Macie and Steph before they leave for class so they can take notes for me. Then, I need to get some sleep.

Dear Journal,

I am never pulling an all-nighter ever again. It is going to take a week to get my sleep schedule back to normal. Well, it looks like my life-long dream of being Batman is out. Darn. At least I made it through my own nights work in one piece. I never thought I'd say this, but thank goodness for coffee. It tastes awful, but the caffeine did wonders for me today. Er, tonight… I mean at work. This is confusing. I'm probably not going to sleep tonight either between the 'jet lag' and the caffeine. I managed to finish my homework, so at least I'm not behind.

Later-

Breaking out the big guns. Chamomile and classical music. Fingers crossed.

Dear Journal,

My sleep schedule is on the mend. Hopefully. Still tired from last night, but at least tired means I'll be able to sleep tonight. In other news, I locked in plans for Valentine's Day. April and I were overheard mutually bemoaning our lack of plans when I dropped Max off at the Lair. By the time I came to pick him up, the boys (including my brother) had decided that our current plan to watch a movie at my place with a pan of brownies was unacceptable when we have a Lair full of guys who care about us. It may not be the 'Valentines' we'd been lamenting over, but the men in our lives are something even more precious, more permanent, and more real than any fleeting romance.  
Those boys are so sweet. I don't know what I've done to deserve them in my life.

Dear Journal,

Ugh. _Finally_ finished with my term papers just in time to start studying for exams. Training may be taking up more of my time this term, but I can really feel the effects when it comes to my health. My focus has received a big boost as well. I actually feel confident about finals without arranging a solid block of panicked study sessions with either Max or Donnie. I do have a few evenings of tutoring lined up, I'm not an idiot. When geniuses are available, it's stupid not to accept their help.

Dear Journal,

I had a visit from Raph tonight. He's kinda ticked off about how I handled the jamming device last week, specifically not telling him about it at all. Granted, the concussion didn't make it that hard to keep him from figuring it out on his own, but I can't fault him for his complaints with my deception. Even the point that I did it to protect him falls flat. He just has to give me one look and I know that if there had been trouble, if I had been keeping him from going to his family when they were in danger and something had happened to them he'd never be able to trust me again. He accused me of 'not thinking about the big picture,' to which I reminded him that Max had been down there, too. He's about as big as my picture gets. Everything outside of him, and the Hamatos, too now I guess, is periphery. I really am that selfish. If I had thought that Raph's brand of kicking ass and taking names would get them out of whatever mystery trouble my mind concocted that night, I would have let him go. If I thought that he would hold up in a big fight, I would have let him go, concussion be damned. But I lied to him and kept him back. If he had gotten hurt because I was selfishly scared for my brother, I don't think I'd be able to forgive myself. And yeah, I told him all of that.  
So now we're at the point where we each understand where the other is coming from, but still would do it our own way if we could to do it over. And he's still mad. It might take a few days for him to really calm down, and I wouldn't blame him at all if he never changes his opinion on what should have happened that night. The tension is a little nerve-wracking though. I hope we can just sort of agree to disagree and move on?

Dear Journal,

I am scared. We're all a little shaken up down here at the Cheesy Hut. Ben got carjacked delivering pizza today. He's okay. They didn't hurt him too bad, just took the car and his wallet, and roughed him up a little (he's not even in the hospital, and the cops all say that he got away lucky). It's still pretty terrifying. Max wants me to quit. But with the economy the way it is, I don't know if I could find another job. I would like to step up my training though.  
What is this city coming to? We're hearing more of these sort of stories every day. The gangs are getting bolder, and there's hardly a night that goes by when the boys don't run into trouble of some kind. I'm afraid. We just finished up with one big mess, and now it feels like all of this is going to become our sort of mess and I don't know what to do.  
I have a shift at work tomorrow. I hope I've been trained well enough.

Dear Journal,

I guess Raph isn't too mad at me. He followed me around on his bike while I was working. It made me feel a million times safer. Then again, that doesn't necessarily mean he's not still miffed. It just means he's not petty enough to be indifferent about my safety.

Dear Journal,

This was probably the best Valentine's Day ever. And I am counting the one when I was dating Trevor. Also the one when Patrick took me to the dance. And the one when Steph and Jesse were taking a break so we all had 'Single Ladies' girls' night in. This was better than all of that.  
So I got each of the boys one of those chocolate oranges, and there was a collective gift card from work as a show of appreciation. They certainly put a lot of thought into what eventually amounted to a night in with my favorite dudes, and they made sure that April and I got what we wanted. Or what they thought we wanted. I'm not sure I want to put too much thought into which one of them owns that copy of Sleepless in Seattle. And I have definitely had my fill of chocolate for the year. Still, it's probably the sweetest thing anyone not a Pennington has ever done for me.

Dear Journal,

Sensei brought in the boys today to help with training. We're learning about breaking holds. Max kinda panicked about halfway through and Leo took him to work on meditation. He's getting better. At both, I mean: the meditation and the not panicking during training. Today was hard, though, and I am so grateful for everyone. I don't know if I could do this without them. They get it. Maybe they aren't the ones who have to calm him down in the middle of the night, but they get it. I could see it in Don's face and hear it in the way he kept asking "Is this okay?" during training. Max wouldn't have lasted nearly as long as he did if it had been anyone but his lab buddy.  
On the ride home, I asked him if training was making him uncomfortable. He said "God, yes." I asked him if he wanted to quit, and he just looked at me and said "Hell, no." He told me that, as excruciating as it is for him sometimes, he needs it. He needs the peace of mind that comes with each new skill that he can use to protect himself and me. "I'm not an idiot," he told me, "They mean well, and they try hard, but they can't keep all of the fighting away from us forever. You and I have three options, Katie: we can either move away and have nothing to do with them; we can die in the crossfire; or we can make ourselves strong enough to stand with them." It's pretty obvious what the only option is.

* * *

Hey there! I've got an opportunity for you!  
If you have liked this story and the original characters in it (or even if you don't), please take a moment to visit the poll on my profile. You might just get an opportunity to see more of Kate and Max.  
At the moment, the plan is to close the poll one month from when this chapter goes up (6/4/2013).

Thank you for reading, and have a nice day! :D


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